Cor

High on Gaudi!

2008-08-09T05:24:00.002+10:00

Barcelonaś always been my no.1 destination. It seems kinda funny how my current job has brought me to this side of the world.

Barca- synonymous with architecture, culture. and most importantly Gaudi! but its definitely not ´business' related.

Been in London for training over the past month. After it ended decided to visit Barcelona and Paris. Was at Mies van der Rohe pavilion yesterday up at Montjuic. Just sitting there on the stone floors looking at stuff i'd only seen from books is an amazing experience.

Have been here for almost a week, met alot of interesting people at hostel etc. We also managed to meetup with the indonesians which was great. Makes the world seem so small sometimes. The weather has been horribly hot and humid but I guess the great amounts of sunlight during summer is the plus side. Admission fares for everything is higher during summer (everywhere charges admission fees! in contrast to london where almost all the museums are FOC).

My checklist is almost all ticked off - La Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, Park Guell, beach, Montserrat, MNAC, Camp Nou.. More to come on last day tomorrow - MACBA, Picasso museum and beach again! on an aside, i·ve had enough paella to last me a long long time..

next stop - Paris!

Off again

2008-07-05T02:38:00.003+10:00

Heading to the UK in a few hours time. One month there for training @ London then off we go!

Planning to visit 2 cities - Barcelona & Paris. The former has been my number one destination for ages. Besides the everpresent Gaudi, there's lots more to see. I'm going to be visiting a communications tower and a brand new office building Torre Agbar.. is it kitsch or slick? we shall see.

Paris will be for the museums (Louvre!! Rodin!! the Impressionists!!), Versailles, Giverny and the french life. Well, a week is far better than none.

Now I must stop. Haven't packed. Work life has not been so 'balanced', haven't caught any sleep for the past 3 nights due to attempt to clear the work, albeit thoroughly unsuccessful.

From 24/33 to 10/23

2008-04-24T01:16:00.002+10:00

KL : 24 - 33C
Melbourne : 10 -23C

I'm going back!

For a holiday, that is. Leaving this Fri night, arriving on Sat morning. We are having only one week break but its fantabulous!!

I can't wait to go back and enjoy the fresh air, cold crisp air, coffee, korean/HK/viet food, the Gardens, gallery and of course the friends!

They told me a Taiwanese opened a karaoke at Melb Central. I wonder, if there is time, we shall def go to see what its like in Melb. My colleague just asked me for our usual session at Nuway @ Puchong. Unfortunately they planned for Fri which is out.

Was at a senior colleague's farewell tonight. Its a wonder how we keep sane. Its been a long long time since I left work while the sky is still bright. Changes happen all the time. Who knows, by this time next year, one'll be at a totally different location, doing something totally different..?

Tomorrow shall be on a much needed leave. There's the Japanese test at night and I totally haven't studied. My 'sensei' is wonderful and I've made some great friends. Really hope to pass and it seems the centre is quite sure too, cos they've called up to inform on rates for the next level already, when I haven't even passed this.

If all goes well, will move on to intermediate. The best things from the course so far:
- meeting the mates
- learning this phrase - "biru o nomimassho ka" which means "lets go for a beer!"

I'm contemplating on bringing some work to do at night in Melb. After all, in commercial banking sales, the credits still need to be proposed. Just because you are on leave doesn't mean the customers' lives stop revolving.

Can't wait!!!

On the road

2008-03-03T01:32:00.001+11:00

Road trip!

2008-02-04T01:08:00.000+11:00

"You look more alive", commented 'the Friend' on Monday. One day later, 'the Friend' commented - "you've lost most of the glow". By Thursday we were dead on our feet. Demotivated and demoralised.

The break was good, too bad it just didn't last.

Travelled more than 1300km across from KK to Miri (return). They managed to collect a record 20 stamps on their passports! I only managed a paltry 8 due to my 'status' in that land.

Out of Sabah, in to Sarawak (Lawas)

Out of Sarawak to Brunei (Labu)

Out of Brunei to Sarawak again (Limbang)

Out of Sarawak to Brunei (Bandar Seri Begawan)

Out of Brunei to Miri.

Thats already 10 border stops one way. whew.. Wikitravel was very useful. We used this itinerary. The waits for the ferry weren't long at all, perhaps due to it being non-peak season.

We made it from KK to Miri in 1 day - 12 hours (including numerous stops for food). The next day drove to Niah (about 1 1/2 hours away) for some walk-about in the jungle. The caves are a little surreal, no time to sort the pics yet. Here's a teaser, probably the best shot of the trip. The flora in the caves practically glowed in the darkness..

Escapism

2008-01-22T04:34:00.000+11:00

I'm off to Sabah in a few hours time. KL is tired of me.

Looking forward to 5/6 days of unplanned activity, they've mentioned driving to Miri/Brunei and Niah made a brief appearance during the conversation today.. Jungles are even better. Too bad flights to Bario were all full else that'd be interesting and prob even more 'ulu'.

It'll be good to take a leave from work. Positiveness can only bring you so far.

JiuFen nightscene

2007-11-09T01:47:00.000+11:00

Taipei

2007-11-09T01:23:00.000+11:00

I seem to live in a perpetual traffic jam.

KL life is...

work work work

A friend dropped a mail recently -- "are you still alive?"

Regretfully, yes I am.

Lousy Blogger

2007-04-19T02:54:00.000+10:00

'no time' is my excuse these days. Now - i'm making time..at 1 in the morning.

Its been close to 6 months since I started work. 6 months full of learning/reading/working (yeah i do "real" work sometimes)/bumming. Plenty of coffee sessions too. Most friends are back here now, but timing's difficult sometimes. I wish we all worked less hours, but thats not gonna be realized anytime soon. Now doesn't that sound sad.. but it isn't lah.

It's not that bad during attachment times, which is this month :) Feeling no pangs of guilt, I left the office at exactly 5.45pm today. The current dept is quite fun. Lost playing in the badminton tournament last week with Tim and Kenny. Aiks but it was good fun! Now I'm hooked to the idea of playing on weekends..

Also went Kuala Selangor to see the fireflies on Saturday. There weren't many, but the experience was great. Stars were twinkling in the clear night sky, utter silence and voila - fireflies 'twinkling' against the night sky. I think I need more of this... but once in awhile only, bcos me still city girl.

Cities brings me to the topic of job postings. Our postings (to other branches in Msia) are imminent. I shd know mine by mid June/July. A friend's getting posted to KotaKinabalu next month hence interesting to know where we'll all end up. Who knows I might start posting from Kota Bharu next?!

Job's fine, no major issues so far. Minus side is I've gotta take some credit professional qualifications. Luckily I like reading all that, else gonna pengsan (like = can take it).

Part of my rambling considerations now - to buy a car - but which car???

I want a sensible no nonsense car within my budget (<1k>RM100,000 which is around AUD 35,000. Almost AUD13k or so more than the Aussie one! Unbelievable, the crazy car prices here. So that leaves me with not many choices. Can't afford anything other than Perodua or shd I just throw the towel and get the dirt-cheap (comparatively) Iswara, which every other person is getting. Though thats notorious for power windows and doors that'll almost definitely fail. Plus those rubber seals on the doors. Aihh...

Welcome

2007-03-19T02:21:00.000+11:00

Welcome to a land of complimentary sauna services all year round, courtesy of the wunnerful weather.

Where else do people pay tolls for the 'privilege' of taking nearly 2 hours to travel from Semenyih to Sunway.

Its no wonder we can set records for cramming the most number of humans into a Perodua Kancil - visitors from out of KL kindly refer to Putra LRT Commuter Lesson 101 "How to fit the most-est people into the minimal space available".

The latest spate of weather is as if musim kemarau sudah bermula.

If all the above sounded unusual, everything else's the usual. Work's the usual. I've gotten more superficial. Haven't taken any off-days since last year and its about time I did.. Come what MAY?... hopefully in MAY I shall take a break.

I've been working, surviving, studying, spending, yamcha-ing. This blog's dead. Luckily I'm not.

Oyasuminasai.

Workaholic me

2007-01-15T03:53:00.000+11:00

Life is work. Work is life. Lost track of time recently. Didn't even check my mail for the past 2 weeks, thats how occupied I was.

Its all rush rush rush for a project these 2 weeks. Esp hectic this week when we had to attend training. Hence it was - go into the office before training, lunch hour go back to work THEN after training at 5.15 return to work again. Working till bout 10 everyday for the past 2 weeks and after the commute home I'm still dreaming about it. Fortunately I'm enjoying what I'm doing, or else.... But come next month I'll be in a different work location. Gotta readapt, know more people and then uproot yet again after 2 months back to home office to yet another department.. the cycle goes on..

Something scary happened this week which made me reconsider how late I should stay at work - a young woman was abducted, gang-raped, drugged and dumped opposite our office. Scary because it happened in daylight, and she was left there at lunch hour - peak time considering all the banks we have in the area. Was wondering what the commotion was all about when I saw her,the crowd, police truck etc. Case didn't even get mentioned in the papers. Oh well.. this is KL.

Back to work....

Its Dec - I need the hols.

2006-12-04T01:38:00.000+11:00

A whirlwind of a month just flew by. 'Work' enters the 2nd month, but tomorrow's only my 2nd day at the department.

Its been a long long time since I've had time to sit down and do nothing. Everyday its rush here rush there.. I'm tired of KL. Tired of the lousy air. Tired of unfriendly people. Talking bout "unfriendly" folks, I did a minor experiment over the past 3 weeks. Every day at the water cooler / lift I said good morning to at least one person. All looked at me strangely, none bothered to say "good morning" back. Result - F.A.I.L. Whatever happened to common courtesy?!

Other than that lousy bit.. life is.. hectic.

Went to Outward Bound school, had fun, came back unharmed cept for some (actually alot!) unknown insect bites. Alot of pics, no time to load le.

Richard came and went back 3 weekends ago.

Visited Penang with SiowPing last weekend on a very rushed trip ~ did as much as we could over the weekend, with many thanks to YehHan. Saw some icky snakes, took some photos, went Swatow Lane and did the usual stuff.. I must add - Msia never fails to surprise me. We "jammed" really teruk on the North-South highway half the journey back on a normal weekend :(

Broke my "i-ain't-drinking-in-KL-anymore" vow really quickly. First it was at the Korean restaurant "omg how can we not have soju!" ; then it was the wine with the old "must-hv-wine" friend; then it was the drinks with the "we-must-go-drinking" buddy; then it was the drinks at the dinner; then more drinks with the fellow trainees this weekend. Notice how it goes on and on.. Gawd next time someone pls refuse to hand me the drinks menu thankyou very much.
*note- that vow was made in early consideration of my imminent (now current) poorly financial status. Which leads me to my next point.

Got my first pay as trainee a few days ago. Mental calculation -- 4 days work in Melbourne = 3 weeks work in Malaysia. Note to self - welcome to KL!

Back in 5 days..

2006-11-12T04:36:00.000+11:00

Work started on Thursday. Well, it isn't really "work" type of work yet. More of briefings and "getting-to-know-each-division" sessions. Still alot of mixed feelings about this whole "coming-back-to-KL" thing...

Anyways I'll be off to Outward Bound in Lumut for 5 days so there'll be no contact with the outside world, and of course no updates.. Richard was in town for the past 2 days. Unfortunately we only managed to meetup after I finished work.. well looking on the bright side, thats better than nothing. On the less brighter side, I'm really tired. Mentally and physically. I think I'm ready to pengsan ("faint") after OBS next weekend. My arm aches from the constant careful gripping of my handbag. The constant paranoia isn't fun. People's "kiasu-ness" ain't fun too.

Everything's about money back here. One impression I had these week is "if you ain't rich - you're nothing". I often say money's a good motivator, but there's more important things in life than that. Just because a person's job isn't "prestigious/professional" doesn't mean they're worthless beings. Gawd i hope i don't become one of them. I don't like whingers, but I appear to be turning into one too, except now I don't whinge to ppl but keep it all in the head :(

Ps Chris Hill said in Melb "...you should surround yourself with people who are good for your heart..."

Back...

2006-10-31T21:37:00.000+11:00

KL is hot. and bloody humid.

Arrived early Saturday, went for David Tao's fantabulous concert at Bukit Jalil, whined bout how humid KL is, went shopping and today - dropped by the office for a medical checkup and briefing.

Heaps of forms to fill in, but that was after the ECG, x-ray etc. Office is very very close to an LRT station, which is convenient in case we ever have to run in the pouring rain. 7 of us metup today, and 8 others in the intake meeting tomorrow. My fellow colleagues are all from different universities. The only one who's really from a local uni is prob a lass from MMU, the rest were from private/twinning programmes or overseas uni grads.

T'was kinda funny that I was the only one out of 7 of us today to actually ask bout benefits and the overall package during my recruitment process. The rest said it's "etiquette" to not ask - which I know too, but heck I needed to make my decision so ask saja le. They were all quite curious n its good to clarify everything today. Turns out a certain allowance is indeed given after we've passed the trainee period. In a way its great that the deal's fantastic. But obviously when you're paid well, they've very high expectations of your performance..so whether it works out to our benefit remains to be seen. But then again, money's a very powerful motivator. Very useful to pay off my debts!!

So now... start next Thursday, next Sun we go to Outward Bound school in Lumut for 5 days. After that's induction till end Nov. Work proper starts Dec 1st. Chen Ximin's coming by KL next weekend. I'm gonna be busy ^_^ Yes life is picking up in KL...

In Sydney

2006-10-19T21:13:00.000+10:00

I am so not going to visit the same destinations when I travel in the future. This time's an exception where I'm bringing the parents around, going "ahh Opera House, The Rocks, Darling Harbour blablabla......."

Fish Market - think sashimi which melts in your mouth, lobsters, oysters and stinky seafood smells, oh and some pelicans by the sea.
Opera House - crowds, sunset, the steps.
Darling Harbour - sesame ice-cream at Passionflower, rain, National Maritime Musem, clambering onto submarine (HMAS Onslow), more rain.
City - shopping!

I think I've had enough of Sydney. Can't wait to get back to Melbourne. God I've only got a week left in Melbourne. :'(

"Busy enjoying life"

2006-10-13T04:58:00.000+10:00

While preparing my tax return, I belatedly realized I won't get to “enjoy” the tax-free threshold on first $6000 of income. Instead, since I'm leaving Aus 8 months before the end of the next income year, I get only 4 months x $500 as the tax-free threshold. I'll still be taxed on the rest! sobb..Superannuation will be taxed another 30% when(if) withdrawn upon departure. Tax returns = headache..which explains why I'm staying up tonight since I have 2 years worth to lodge.

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The days pass by in a whirlwind of "stuff" - birthdays, mid-autumn festival, house-warmings, meetups, and even a wedding.

October 7th was John and Rose's wedding ^_^ After the ceremony and lunch, we headed to Alexandra Gardens for a short photography session. Weather was fantastic. Skies were a wonderful shade of blue, sun was out. Perfect day for a wedding.

At the gardens..

I like this picture! (re above)

Ervina, Rose & John, David, Jason.. plus me (aka 'the hidden photographer')

After the wedding shoot I did my usual last-minute dash to the NGV (National Gallery of Victoria - International) for their annual Winter series exhibition. This year we fortunate Melburnians get to see "Picasso: Love and War". But that wasn't before I stopped to take this..

~Melbourne has an elegance I find difficult to leave behind..

More friends have visited this exhibition than I'd expected. Perhaps it was the draw of the artist, perhaps it was this..
They've obviously put alotof effort into curating this exhibition, with more than 300 works showcased interpersed with Dora Maar's works. It highlights some 10 years of Picasso's works when he was infatuated with Dora Maar, tumultuous war years as backdrop. Hence "Love and War". Might be abit quirky but I was particularly drawn to a few sketches of horses in his works, really liked those, plus La Suppliante.. Overall it was good, but wasn't "great" for me. Prefer different styles..

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Oct 5th: Mey's birthday, she's the pretty lass seated 2nd from right ~

Birthday dinner at Southbank .. a great night out with the girls.

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Sometimes we do stuff like these ~ in late Sept ~ dessert @ Soul Mama's

~ Di, MeiZhi, MinHui, LeeInn and Mey in a rare group pic

Espresso pot with soy on the side, passionfruit tropical cheesecake with pistachio yoghurt, mud cake (out of view) and something else :)

People've asked "so what're you busy with lately?"

As my sister'd probably say on my behalf - "Busy enjoying life" :D

Ja, mata (goodbye)

I think I...

2006-10-06T02:16:00.000+10:00

I think I ... am going to leave with a broken heart.

September was spent living in denial. 5 days in Adelaide, and by day2 I was missing Melbourne. I hadn't realized it was going to be so hard to leave. Come October, reality sets in. I start preparing to leave for KL (in exactly 3 weeks time). Bouts of insomnia remain persistent. It seems foolish to spend the remaining hour/days here on irrelevant things such as sleep.

Its not the end, its merely the beginning. But there's this reluctance to leave the comfort zone. I know what its called too - reluctance to "grow up". Reluctance to separate from friends whom I may never meet again, reluctance to leave behind the community work I've grown accustomed to. Reluctant to accept the fact that life will be consumed by work back home.

Fortunately I have naught but hope - I do my best, God takes care of the rest. Nobody ever said change was easy...

On other things..its the Mid Autumn Festival tomorrow. Happy mooncake festival folks! If you're playing with lanterns, be careful not to burn the field/house down :) As for me, I'll be off celebrating with a chinese dinner. Funny how I am more "traditional" when I'm overseas..

Ta.

Missing Melbourne (soon..) / 10-20-30 rule of PowerPoint

2006-09-04T22:09:00.000+10:00

Been hibernating at home over the past four days. Lessened contact with everyone and just stayed home to ponder over my circumstances. I've accepted the offer, mailed it and will prob be starting work on 6th Nov. Booked my flight back on midnight 28th Oct, right after graduation on 26th.

I'm going back!

Erm.. I wish I sounded as enthusiastic as others did when I broke the news to them. Reality is, I'm going to miss alot of things.

voluntary work and YAA.
the photography club.
good coffee anywhere I want.
the parks/gardens.
the air.
even the Internet..

I just hope I don't regret. For privacy purposes, alotof people seldom divulge their workplace details. I guess I'll do the same then and not say too much, other than I'll be working for an international bank in Malaysia (not many of them around, so go figure). Note: not an investment bank.

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Something interesting I read today - "Ten Things to Learn This School Year" on Guy Kawasaki's blog. One point there 'How to use PowerPoint" is a good read which led me to his 10/20/30 rule of PowerPoint:

"It's quite simple: a PowerPoint presentation should have ten slides, last no more than twenty minutes, and contain no font smaller than thirty points."

It does sound simple eh. How many times in lectures have we students been bombarded with 60 slides or more, or with slides which are just a repeat of textbooks.

Click here for more, and here (The Kawasaki method, also includes links to other simple and effective methods). So now can we say goodbye to dodgy animations and lousy smallish font?

Change is the only constant

2006-08-21T23:16:00.000+10:00

One week can change alot of things. I've been in a sorry state over the past week. Awfully sick, awfully broke. and more than a little dejected bcos a few housemates are going back to their home countries these few weeks. Amber left for China last friday. MunYee returning to Msia next week. Peggy to Singapore & FeiFei to China next month and then XiMin back to China in Oct. aihh. I really wonder when I'm going to see them again.. The "awfully sick" part still applies to me now - 病到七彩. All the ailments are linked, asthma - hayfever - eczema (what I classify as "the triple allergies"); plus conjunctivitis (complication of a cold), sore throat, headache. aihh.. I needed something positive to brighten up my days.. and something has indeed occurred.

The weekend has brought some changes.. I've decided to take up an offer back home. The opportunity came up rather unexpectedly and after a very positive interview with the HR head and a senior manager yesterday, an offer was made. I have 12 days to consider but most prob will accept it within the week and start next April.

The role offered - resident manager trainee. Everyone's got their fancy names for graduate programs but I guess this one describes the role well. As usual I asked alotof questions in my discussion with HR and got a fairly detailed outline of what we trainees will be doing/getting. Program begins in KL when we start with 2 weeks training. Then its 6 months attachment in my chosen stream (KL) then 1st posting for appr. a yr. And here's the clincher - the posting's to any of their branches within Msia. And I'm pretty sure it won't be in the Klang Valley ^_^ it'll be interesting to see where we all end up. After the posting, appr 2 mths training in the UK, then its on to the next posting.. or other opportunities within the organisation.

Perks/benefits? Lets just say that its one of the most attractive I've seen available for fresh grads in Msia :P After all, monetary remuneration is a key motivator for employees.. and living in KL with its relatively high living costs, its realistic to expect a certain salary range. The extras are a bonus, obviously...

Fickle-minded I am eh... In a week's time, I'll know where I'll be next year, and thats a comforting thought to end my rather sorry week with..

Sick & broke.. so sad wey..

2006-08-16T17:32:00.000+10:00

Last week was madly hectic. Yesterday, it all caught up with me. Now I'm stuck at home with a "you-name-it-i-have-it" syndrome (fever, cough, cold, sore throat etcetcetc). The thought of lost income these 2 days is killing me. Bank account balance is at critical levels after paying another $500 on Monday for my medical checkup & a temporary visa. Aihh.. really wish money grew on trees.

Worked 3 days last week, became event photographer for uni's Multicultural Wk on Wed, Fri had a tough tough tough assessment centre, Sat volunteered at CFV's annual Gala Ball till 1am. Its no wonder I'm finally sick.

Assessment centre last Friday was tough. I haven't been so stressed for at least 2 years. I think I'm traumatized :( Had to reach Camberwell by 7.15am and the whole thing lasted for 8 hours. I expected more candidates but there were only 4 of us (incl me). 2 Msian guys and a Chinese girl (China natl). The company actually flew them in from Adelaide, Brisbane and QLD respectively, put them up at the Hilton.. and me - ended up trudging to the train station at 6 in the morning. 3 activities for the day - case study, group discussion and business scenario & interview. Only the discussion was groupwork, the rest all individual activities.

Aihh.. won't go into the details. Don't think I performed (up to my standards), Somebody's mentioned "you get thru this, you know you can get thru any assessment centres in the future". Very true cos its given me valuable experience..especially in facing high ranking assessors. But anyways this's the final round and if I do make it, it'll be an offer for a KL-based position.

Pessimism aside, an offer for yet another KL based position will add some weight to the argument of "going back" versus "not going back" to KL for work. I've decided to apply for a PR at the moment, which explains why I'm still in Melbourne (and also why I'm so broke!). Its not to say that the offers aren't attractive enough to "entice" me to return and work back home. But long term prospects are questionable when the country seems to be heading south. Will just have to see how...

Picnic @ Royal Botanic Gardens - pics!

2006-08-02T00:40:00.000+10:00

Had an impromptu picnic on a glorious Saturday afternoon @ the Royal Botanic Gardens with Yee Wei and Jean recently.. an afternoon spent lounging on the park bench (the lawn was FULL of bird poo ughh).. chatting bout random stuff, taking pics of everything under the sun/lake..

Conclusion : a lazy day. Utterly enjoyable. Though Jean enjoyed it more I believe, since she got a share of the long overdue and much-desired sunlight

Isn't that sweet...

"What're they looking at?"

(above) yucky slithery eels..urghh

*we took more pics of the birds than of ourselves ^_^

One of those days

2006-07-31T20:34:00.000+10:00

Snail mail these days ain't fun anymore. No personal letters, no beaming cards sent from afar. Received 3 letters today - bank, insurance and my pay record. Saddening. Aihh I half wish I'm still in the 90s.

Every call I've received today are from people I don't wish to talk to. It is one of those days when almost nothing seems to go right, when you're looking for X ingredient while cooking and discover you've forgotten to purchase it; when you wish for bright skies you get incessant rain; when the people you want to talk to are too busy, but those you don't want to talk to call you up instead; when people disappear from the face of the earth for weeks and then turn up suddenly as if nothing's happened and expect you to be the same.

Yep its one of those days alright.

On other things, a few of us will be taking pics @ Multicultural Week next week.. Not with my little digicam though. MONSU (the student union) has a Canon Rebel which Adrian arranged for me to use. I was able to loan it for the weekend, lenses incl - 50mm f/1.8, 90-300mm, and the normal kit 18-55mm. The 50mm lens was the last I tried but whoa I like it! The pics turned out sharp, feels suitable for low-light indoor situations. Now I need to figure out what to do about the flash intensity. Thats one niggly thing about my own camera's flash as well.

Its been a while since I've gotten "back" into photography. Books are cheaper and the net is free (well, almost). Recently was informed some of my pics got shortlisted for an online travel guide, will see if any gets published. Unfortunately no remuneration since its semi-commercial (guides available for free on the web) so its just self-satisfaction :'(

TiredThursday

2006-07-13T23:10:00.000+10:00

Yee Wei mentioned just now "Your last post was 10 days ago". I hadn't realized that. I reckon I've lost track of the days as a result of 4 weeks of mind-numbing work. "I sound drunk, but I'm not!" shd be my MSN message these days. Lack of sleep, too much caffeine plus all the work/activity is making me either really blur or really hyper. Not a very healthy mixture but next week I'll have time to catch up on sleep..
.
We had a mini bloggers meet at Lygon St just now (I'm sure the rest will post up soon..). Enjoyed that though I have to state that I'm not a blogger. I just "happen to have a blog". This is unashamedly a work-eat-sleep blog, at least at this point in time..
.
Whats new this week then?..
~ I've graduated.
~ Work ends tomorrow so now I urgently need another job. The pay comes in, but then goes out again in a flash. Bills to be paid..ahh my bank balance hurts..
~ Spent last weekend at a beachhouse @ Point Lonsdale. We sortof expected a shack-like structure but.. it looked like it came right out of a design mag :P

Anyways, alot of people have asked "so how does it feel to have graduated?". I don't really know what to answer since I haven't thought so much about it.. Been preparing for work-life and graduate job search since March so July doesn't seem so significant. After all the applications and interviews for jobs back home, I've decided to apply for PR here. Aihh..

Thats another story. Too tired to continue typing..

Ja, oyasuminasai

Another work-eat-sleep post..

2006-07-03T23:22:00.000+10:00

I glanced at the bedside clock just a moment ago, and glanced again -- 11.14pm already. OMG It seems as if I just got back, just took my shower, have another few mails to reply, jacket washed halfway (still in e bucket), room to be cleaned etc etc etc. And I feel like sleeping early tonight. Impossible now, obviously.

Last week was a mad whirlwind of stuff going on. But out of it all I only worked 3 days...On my off day Monday, went in to CFV for my usual admin work and whilst there, met a new face. Rosanna's a new volunteer there. She's from the HK Baptist University and the uni is way cool - they actually sent a group of students over from HongKong to do work exchange and she picked a non-profit org (they arranged with the organisation sommore). Coincidentally it was her first day at work and she's prob glad to see me, cos the rest of the office was EXtremely busy that day n didn't have too much time to show her everything. Her first day at work and we OT-ed sommore hahh..but I think she'll enjoy that office.

Got sick on Thu so cancelled work but went in on Fri. The past weekend was so packed, but I enjoyed it even though I feel crap tired now

Had dinner Friday at Darrel's friend's place (Ed) in the city cos he was cooking - chappati and curry. Initially I thought it was the "frozen-chappati-in-packet" type but he actually made it from scratch --- as in made it from flour etc O_o Never cease to spring surprises eh.. Got back late and ended up almost falling asleep downstairs as I watched Germany v Argentina with the rest. Rarely get the chance to watch football (since its at ungodly hours here and I gotta wake up early) so decided to catch that match, but who knows it dragged on to extra time and then to penalties sommore. By 3 plus I was dead on my feet and going "whatever, c'mon just get it over 'n done with and let me go to dreamland..." Btw I was hoping for Argentina to win. They were the better team, but then again its football and it doesn't always happen this way..

Within a few hours after the match, with a coupla hours sleep tucked in, I trudged my way to the city yet again. Saturday was my 1st time dropping by Melbourne Uni. Haven't had a chance to form an impression bout there yet cos it was so windy/cold that day we just walked fast and kept our heads bowed. Hence I don't even remember where I was led to, figure its somwhere in the archi buildings. Attended a meeting there with Eric, Vincent, Ling & co. for a coupla hours. Quite productive and I suppose being in a smaller informal group provides a better setting for decision-making. A quick dinner with Fenella and Wen, and after that I left to MinHui's new place to bumm for awhile. The view from the top floor of her building is fantastic, to say the least :)

Not content with bumming, the next day we did the steamboat we've been craving for, plus LeeInn who came by. Aah hotpot in winter's the best!! No pictures though, didn't care to take any.. (btw my Flickr account's updated with new pics, check it out!).. Stayed over and went straight to work today. Work is getting abit unbearable, not just for me but for almost everyone. Its the monotonous nature of it all I suppose.. I gotta repeat to myself all the time now - "think of the bank account (MH suggests think of the "000"s)..."

gotta tahan
gotta tahan
gotta tahan

aihh off to finish my chores n ZZzzzz. I tak boleh tahan (stand) dy :(

Mind-numbing work..

2006-06-23T21:54:00.000+10:00

Money is indeed a powerful motivator.

It gives me the ability to to wake up at 6am (or earlier)
It causes me to trudge my way through the train stations in the cold mornings.
It makes me click click click and stare at the computer screen all day.
It makes me willingly endure mind-numbing work.
Connex is now my 2nd home - 2 hours every day, plenty of time to read/eat/sleep.

Finally started working this week. Location - far. We work in teams of ~15, abt 8-10 teams in the building. I finally understand how it feels to be working in one of those call-centre environment type of roles. The monotonous nature of the job gets to you within the first few hours. We're not a call centre, but it feels that way cos of the routine.

The job involves marking exam papers, each person's allocated quotas of certain questions which results in a ppl marking the same question over and over and over and over again. 5 days so far and I've done 20 THOUSAND (for just 2Qs) O_0 Candidates number more than a hundred thousand so obviously there's many more teams working. Music, fortunately, is allowed hence everyone tries to get by the day in their own ways. Someone mentioned he was planning out his future, another thinking about travelling with the cash etc. Me? I've been thinking/dreaming..

We were "behind schedule" according to the project leader hence was asked to work longer hours. These 2 days 8-6pm. They're paying by the hour so no complaints, plus its optional whether you want to come in or not. Everyone's motivation is $$ and more $$. Even though we were all dead tired, when they said Saturday 7 (morning!) to 12pm extra shift, most of us said "okay" without thinking. Its ridiculously early and I checked the train schedule - it would've meant leaving the house at 5.30am or so?! The hours were later adjusted to 8-1pm. ahhhhh I wanted to scream when I got back yesterday. Money, think of the irresistible lure of wads of cash! (ok perhaps "wads" is overstating it since everything's via EFT now). Or not needing to ask any precious cash transfers from the father..

I kept going "think of the cash think of the cash think of the cash..." while facing the comp screen. Relatively high pay by normal standards, I've earnt enough this week to get a nice LV bag, or a trip to somewhere. N0000oooooo no LV bag unfortunately :( There're more mundane things to think about - like rent for instance. Wondered too about the rate of withholding tax (PAYG) they're deducting from my pay and I think its 18-28% (anyone care to enlighten me?) All the pay from these few weeks will go towards living costs in the coming months. MinHui was going "work is good, at least got income" hence the bright side of all these tiring days eh...

Yepp money is a strong incentive for getting things done.

My mind wandered alot during work. Thought about alotof things. Travelling. Further studies. Friends. Not going back. Work. Drumming..Its been ages since I've touched a drum set. 3 years or so.. My drumsticks are still wasting away at home, had no reason to bring them over. Now my wrists feel abit stiff (maybe its all the click-click-click lately), and I can't imagine being an accountant-drummer (oh..the irony of it when accounting students tend to be synonymous with the whole adjective "boring" and its associated negativities). Suddenly feel like picking it up again, just a thought..

Schedule is fairly packed with work and more running around. Lunch with Kiong Sunday, off day on Monday! (actually i cannot tahan and decided to take a day off), Monday going in CFV half day voluntary, back to more work on Tue and so on... welcome to working life, everyone sniggers..

Its awesome how things are sometimes. Just a while ago, I'm tired out, slouched on my chair. The phone rings and I reach over lazily. Someone has just called to sing a short ditty - "the 3 bears" (from Full House drama hahh) to cheer me up. It was a hilarious effort!!! ::HugZ:: it has made my day!

CFV / YAA / WorkWorkWork!

2006-06-17T01:46:00.000+10:00

This week have been in to CFV office twice already. Went in for an extra few hours today cos there was soo much to be done and Gia couldn't come in this week. After work I took the usual leisurely stroll back from Southbank. It takes about 15 minutes or so, passing by the Victorian College of the Arts, NGV Intl, the Arts Centre, the bridge and then Flinders. Although its peak hour, there's space aplenty for walking and the evening's pleasant weather was such a nice change from the chill of the past weeks.

The CFV's got a small&cozy office in Southbank, on a leafy street lined on both sides by modern apartments. Natalie just told me she's moving into a new role in PR working with Stephen-the-CEO. She's really pleasant to work with and I suppose I'm enjoying the work there cos she's patient and teaching me bout their operations/events. Its nice to go into work and feel familiar knowing where things are kept, what goes where, donor management system, knowing where the spreadsheets/info are etc..

*A certain someone overslept while waiting for me to finish work today..hence we missed dinner&coffee (you know who you are!). So is it your fault or mine, I wonder?!

On other things, I finally got the long-overdue notice to start work next Monday. The bank balance was really starting to worry me and to say I'm ecstatic to start work is an mighty understatement. Timing's actually okok - exams finished this week, I've had time to clean my room, attended the YAA workshop this week too, "big S"interview also done. Most of the distractions taken care off..

Its nice to be getting paid for work again.. While I'm enjoying volunteering, my state of finances is much worse than I thought. Will prob ask for a day off weekly from the Pearson job since I've got to take time off for the weekly YAA meetings (yeah this one also voluntary aka unpaid basis hehh). As a mentor this time round, I get more flexibility regarding attendance at meetings, thats a bonus..

It was great to meet up with people at the YAA management skills workshop a coupla days ago. "So posh this year" was my thought when we started. Held at the Melbourne Town Hall's Swanston Room, the crowd seems to have quadrupled. More sponsors have come onboard this year - Salmat sponsored the workshops, and is sponsoring 2 teams in 2006. Accenture also taking 2 teams. Loads of other sponsors. The venue was impressive, and later I was also at the Yarra Room upstairs. It's another grand room with 20+feet high ceilings, lotsa imposing HUGE potraits of impressive gentleman framed by gilded frames, impeccable tablecloth ( a speaker even commented on it hah), grand swinging chandeliers (well, maybe not swinging) etc.

The 1st session involved mainly introductionary talks by Nicci, Kristie and Stephen Birch (Repco's Natl Trade Mgr, very involved with YAA each year - always a lively speaker!). Kristie was my mentor last year but she was on the podium speaking as 2004 State & National Business Person of the Year (BPOY) and as MD of the company that won of 7 of 9 State awards, won more at the Nationals etc. The crowd of students/undergrads went "woww" when she listed her achievements, imo truly well deserved seeing how much work she put in then. We were both glad to see each other involved again this year albeit with competing teams!

I received a somewhat amusing email when I got back that night. My current team's marketing director emailed me asking if I could ask Kristie whether she was willing to advice him on some issues. I chuckled to myself.. thinking "heck this fella has no confidence in his mentors eh.." There's FIVE mentors from BAE (engineers, BAE's commercial manager etc), plus Reuven (who did the program before) and me. 7 people weyy! I've adviced him to conduct market research but it hasn't been taken onboard. They've making decisions not on what the market(consumer) wants but by what they want. Risky approach me thinks, but still, its their choice and thats how they'll learn I suppose. I wasn't a BPOYfinalist last year for nothing, I do know what I'm talking about ey..

*On something else entirely.. next week's contract is till 20 July. Am waiting for news on the 2nd job, unrelated to the 1st (Jul28-Aug28). The timing is perfect from one job to the next, but they're still processing the 2nd rounds. Nadia got in touch to let me know the interview/assessment date'll be sorted out next week (thats bcos I've been patiently waiting. and waiting..) and THEN its probably another week of waiting. Patient I'll be, no worries cos the pay's almost the same as Pearson, extra benefit of paid half-hour breaks and city location .. I pray I get it. God knows how handy the money'll be. "I do my best and leave You to do the rest eh.."

Oyasuminasai, I am tired.. tmrw yumcha with the ladies..

Mamak thoughts..and on food in Melb

2006-06-12T03:05:00.000+10:00

A thought struck me today. I was making coffee and realized somehow this year, I don't miss mamak as much as I did a year ago. Usually its during late quiet nights in Melbourne that I tend to go "ahh if only I'm at mamak now..."

Maybe when I was back over the summer, we didn't go mamak-ing that often. At least not Murni (SS2's infamously-always-super-crowded-mamak). Always ended up somewhere else because Murni was just way too packed and it was always difficult to find a table and enough chairs. Although their garlic cheese naan is still a fave of mine, by no means its unobtainable over here. Coupla weeks ago, a housemate's mother made some "flat bread" which actually looks/tastes exactly like naan. So much for mamak-style when China-style tastes just as well. Come to think of it, naan is everywhere. We had it with dips for my birthday dinner at Soul Mama (vegetarian restaurant @ St Kilda Sea Baths), where even the the steel plates look just like Murni's plates (the one used for naan/other roti). Weird eh..

Sitting for the Japanese exam in a few hours time, weather's been freezing cold at night keeping everyone up and me moody.. The whole week was pretty much a waste, felt like hibernating under my warm quilt and fortunately my schedule allowed for it. Thursday we actually took the intercampus shuttle to visit Berwick campus. We'd always meant to visit other campuses but never got around to doing it, till now. Its not as far as I thought and only took 20 minutes one-way. Took some dreary pictures and had a look around their uber-small campus. Landsize-wise its some 55 hectares I believe, but built-up space isn't much to talk about. Design was relatively "clean" but we went "aww" when we saw the positively tiny library! Quite quaint with lotsof land, but only 1 cafe and a McDonald's across the road. I still prefer Caulfield :)

Over the past weeks have tried out some restaurants/cafes in Melb. Some have been good, others nothing to shout about..

~ Seoul (city, the one upstairs not the one at Little Bourke St) - Korean food. Disappointed they didn't have "dok pok ki", service was quite bad (they kinda forgot our food), the kind where "tak berapa layan". Food was alright, but could've been better. Give me Kimchi Grandma / 7&7 anyday! (both in Carnegie, highly recommended!!)

~ that new Vietnamese restaurant on Swanston St, opposite Trampoline I think - prompt service, friendly folks with very decent prices. I speak nicely of this place cos first time we were there they gave us complimentary desserts :P Food was the standard fare, not too bad. So far have tried their broken rice and the standard beef noodles. Just like Springvale's. If you're in the mood for wine, they seemed to have a fair variety.

~ Bento in QV (i think thats the name, else look for the signboard) - mix of Japanese/Korean-style food in bento boxes. Its located at the food court area, prices are reasonable but find it abit too oily for my liking. But convenient if you want a quick take-away.

~ Kimchi & Bab, Caulfield East (easy to find. Just turn left at the Caulfield train station) - another Korean place! yupp Di likes Korean food. But a note of warning, their service is absymally slow, compared to the other eateries around. Lunch specials are bento-style bulgogi (stir-fried beef/pork/chicken) but I'd recommend going for the Kimchi-Tchiggae (stew with pork/tofu/kimchi/other bits 'n pieces). It comes with the standard side dishes, perfect for winter! And I must add, the tchiggae is better than Kimchi Grandma's..

~ De Los Santos @ Brunswick Street, Fitzroy - Spanish restaurant (remember to book as seating is limited). We had their tapas (the calamari recommended), paellas (tried abit of both - seafood mix and duck & sausages mix) I personally prefer the latter, washed down with a nice glass of sangria :) Service is prompt, dessert range isn't very wide though. Better to go with a bunch of people and you'll get to sample more dishes, like what we did.

~ Lemongrass @ Lygon St - Thai restaurant at the corner you won't miss it, its diagonally across the road from Casa del Gelato/Koko Black. We were there for dinner last weekend, ordered 2 curries, 1 mixed stir-fry, tom yam goong (essential le) and their coconut rice. It wasn't exactly fantastic for the kind of price we were paying, but I suppose Melburnians think its an institution since it caters to their tastebuds (most of the patrons were non-Asians). Food wasn't spicy enough for the group's liking, but imo the service was good. They have a different menu for lunch so perhaps one day I'll drop by again for the laksa.

Myohmy sounds like all we do in Melbourne is makan makan makan eh.. oh well there isn't much to do here at night anyways. Anyone wants to join our weekly "outings" leave me a mail/msg :)

Aus-Msia forum...

2006-06-06T03:15:00.000+10:00

Am planning to apply for this position and while reading up on the company's website just now, I noted a rather daunting statistic:

In 2005,
85000 applicants
34000 interviewed
423 employed.

O_o OMG thats like a 0.005 percent success rate. Just proves how tough the competition is these days.

Been catching up on much-needed sleep over the past coupla days. Fri was interesting as I was at the Aus-Msia forum in the city. One speaker (Mr Ian Buchanan) captivated us with his short 10 minutes talk. Prob'll blog more bout his speech later.. We had a few other speakers but alot of it was "gloss" (my slang meaning "glossing over the issues without offering much comment of substance").

I was annoyed with one Msian speaker who made comments to the effect of "Msian chinese who are dissatisfied are that way because they always want more. They're millionaires but they want to become billionaires.." What in the world was that?! He needs to get out of his shiny office in KL and look at how people out there actually live. He mentioned that chinese makes up a large proportion of Forbes list of Richest Malaysians (recently released, available on Forbes website). So what does that tell you? -- that averages mean very little when the majority of wealth is concentrated on the hands of a few, and not like what he said. He shouldn't be generalising this way.

I know they're trying to present Msia as this "multicultural-conducive for foreign investment-everyone loves everyone" country but it totally misses the realities of how things are. They had relatively more open discussions after the foreign minister left. Mr Buchanan was good enough reason to stay on. Later, I noticed the minister (and his large entourage) had merely left the hall after his keynote address, but not the hotel. They returned only during the reception, I wonder why? It could've been a good opportunity to listen to what questions/concerns were raised by members of the forum. Come all the way to Melbourne to speak but then not bother to listen..?

Was quite entertained at the reception by the combination of a few things - wine :P and a British fella telling me stories about the days when he spent time travelling in Ipoh, Penang etc -- 30 years ago! So refreshing to have good ol' conversations once again, instead of meaningless chatter.

On other things, my involvement with this year's YAA team has got me thinking alot - How my fellow mentors do things, how the team members work with each other, and what I'm learning from them all. Things're quite different from last year, where I feel my mentors gave us more free rein to do things ourselves, but at the same time guided us and gave appropriate advice. We seem to be much more competitive last year, compared to this year's team which has a more laidback attitude towards things.

Instead of making everyone contribute, most of the work falls on shoulders of individuals. Individuals come up with the work and ask the others for feedback (which isn't always responded to). I believe 5 minds are better than 1. If thats the way they choose to work, I can't imagine how it'll be when it comes to manufacturing/selling. Emailed them about my suggestion they setup an online forum but communication seems to be the least of their priorities at the moment. Their current method's using emails, so in a day I might get 4 separate emails regarding 1 issue (& 3 feedback emails) which I have to reconcile separately, trying to figure out who's saying what at the same time. Its confusing, even for me. Ahh they'd better figure something out soon..

日本語のpost / end-of-uni-days

2006-05-31T22:10:00.000+10:00

いま、わたしひろうかんですね。きょうろくじはんうちにかえります。こんばんにほんごのしゅちょうはにじからよじまでです。それからきのう日本語のてすとはだいがくです（？）。わたしはあしたのあさCystic Fibrosis のかいしゃにいきます。そして（わたしは）くじにうちをでます。こんしゅうのどよう日にゆすみの日です！それからどよ日のあさこうようをみます。:)

六月はふゆです。いま、とてもさむいですね。。

Today was a special day. 31May marks the end of my uni days. Just finished up 3 exams this week , with only one more (Japanese) sometime in June. Yeah if you want early exams, take Arts units :P So relieved to be done with the finals (well, almost) but the days ahead are filled with much uncertainty.

Offer letter from the regulator arrived in the mail yesterday. For the time being, I'm leaving it in the "Jobs" folder-box.. Mentioned in a previous post that I took a break from studying and applied for the big "S" company on Sunday night. Much to my surprise, I got a response the day after. Efficient innit? I've scheduled the interview with the company in bout 2 weeks time. Recruitment this time's done via their Australian office. Will see how things turn out.. This position's also based in KL.

I've previously said I'd be back to KL, but "the only thing constant in change is change itself". Fickle-minded-me might change my mind bout where I'm heading after graduation.

Plans as of today - casual work till late July (possibly till early August if I get into the 2nd project). If I go back for a quick break (as in stay on in Melb), was thinking of heading to Thailand for a short-term volunteering placement. Either teach English or work in eco-tourism (also english-language related stuff eg setting up proper Eng signage & tourist brochures, not tagging wild elephants le friends you all know I'm not exactly at home in the wild hah).. I don't know how many people realise this, but we have to PAY for volunteering :P yeah usually a (large) fixed program fee has to be paid in USD for a placement. Working with smaller organisations would mean the fees aren't so steep. Just a thought for now, will decide within the next coupla weeks.

じゃ、また.

Malaysia-Australia Forum @ Melbourne 2 June

2006-05-31T20:14:00.000+10:00

Malaysia Australia Forum
Friday 2 June 2006
1.30 pm – 4.30 pm (Forum) and 4.30 – 6.00 pm (Reception)
The Windsor Hotel, 103 Spring St, Melbourne CBD

A special forum about Malaysia sponsored by ~
Monash Asia Institute (Monash University)
Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Australia-Malaysia Institute (Department of Foreign Affairs)

With support from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Melbourne Office), Asia Society AustralAsia Centre and Centre for Malaysian Studies (Monash Asia Institute)

For the program and more details, pls click here. Speakers include Monash's Vice Chancellor Professor Richard Larkins, Malaysia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Dato Seri Syed Hamid Albar, CEO of Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI) Dato Dr Michael Yeoh.

Pls note that an RSVP is essential (refer to link above for more details).

#note: All the above information's copyright of Monash University 2006.

Random 4.52am thoughts

2006-05-29T04:45:00.000+10:00

~ I got the casual job. Thank you God! Money (or the lack thereof) changes a lot of things, or at least has the potential to change many things for me.

~ Didn't know mushrooms were 'magic' till Saturday night, when we had a funny misunderstanding. And no, I didn't go on a shroom trip! Go google "magic mushrooms".

~ Wednesday was a funny day. I thought of someone, and within the next 5 seconds, I looked up and hey presto - there was the person. And it happened twice within the hour (I thought of 2 people actually).

~ Myer has an amazing range of fishnets. If it weren't for Doreen and Mey I wouldn't even have been in that section :P

~ Two tests in a day (in a few hours time) - why do these things fall on same days?? Nihongo no tesuto (Japanese) at 5pm and the Asian studies one at 9am. aihh..

~ Hurriedly sent in the application a coupla hours ago. Fixed up my resume and did the 2 questionnaires. It got me thinking what type of life I really desire for the future? My first thought was - open a cafe cum bookstore, and a florist next door. Not one of those mega-bookstores ala Borders, but something more intimate and laidback. And why a florist? well, flowers make people happy. So its a combination of my few interests - books/coffee/flowers. Add in some financial freedom to take 3 months of the year off traipsing the world. boy..that would be really neat.

~ After typing the above thought, i realised my imagination's been working overtime. Bah..the realities of life.

~ Volunteered Friday at CFV. Was supposed to stay only till after lunch but ended up staying the whole day cos I could see Natalie was inundated with work. Am quite enjoying the work there..Southbank is quieter than I've expected though, being so close to the CBD.

~ The mornings lately have been absolutely freezing. So foggy in Nunawading that day I thought I was in Genting. After last year's "warmest year ever", this year might just set a record for the coldest one yet.

~ The other day, I mentioned to someone to not call me "darling" anymore. I was asked "why?". Well, it feels wrong. I mean, it is wrong, especially when he's got a girlfriend. That, and some other recent behaviour. Perhaps that was something I should've raised earlier. My bad. I value this friendship and, I hope he does too. We're friends, remember? I'll always be there, tomodachi*.

*meaning friend in Japanese.

Oyasuminasai (good night and rest well)..

middle of the night..

2006-05-21T03:22:00.000+10:00

Back to the "middle-of-the-nite" posts which were a regular last year. I'm not as busy as last year, but there's some pressing matters of late. Of immediate concern - Monday's deadline for Asian Studies. Am progressing (albeit slowly) with the essay..

Just got off the phone with Gill. Its 3 plus a.m. dy..she's the only one who sleeps at my kindof odd hours these days. We were supposed to be out yesterday (Sat) but both totally ter-overslept hence no yamcha!

Haven't been updating this blog much. My (now) regular weekly update:
~ Been for interview with Maybank on Tuesday for their management trainee program. Have a letter of undertaking, but imo it doesn't mean much as it doesn't amount to an offer letter. Offer's dependent upon results of assessment testing, final results and medical. But results're out only in mid July so it leaves things kinda hanging halfway.
~ Networking event in city last Monday - didn't gain much. Talked to KPMG's rep, they're hiring for the Spore office (if anyone's interested). I-banks weren't really appealing cos they were in the market for interns, not graduates..
~ Briefing at Pearson a coupla days ago. I'll know by next Tuesday whether I get that job. ::dear God, I reaaaalllly need this job!:: if it goes well, the job'll end on July20th. And I'll be back in KL shortly after.
~ Spent half of Thursday in conversation. Sigh.. I'll miss these when I go back.

As can be gathered, I'm quite reluctant to be going back. But back I shall be, due to financial realities. Leaving friends/lifestyle/clean air/efficient public transport/uni/my books! So lazy to move on, but the immediateness of it is getting to me.. I am counting down.. and the weeks are getting shorter. sobb.

Next up - graduate applications -- i promise, i really promise to myself -- i'll get in those 3 applications within the next 7 days. Am waiting for news on others, 2 of which i'm particularly keen on. But no news is good news eh.. Will have to wait till the end of their application period, so it shd be within the next coupla weeks. ::dear God, forgive me for being selfish but I also realllly need to get one of those positions i'm "targeting"::hopefully my "target" and yours match, but if You say otherwise, I concur::

ahh caffeine and music from "Brown Eyes" goes very well together. Current album is "Back to the Soul Flight". Its korean R&B with a jazzy feel to it -- perfect for late nights!

Back to the readings I go..China China China its all about you this weekend..

Turning 23

2006-05-10T02:47:00.000+10:00

Last Saturday was eventful, and meaningful. T'was my birthday, and it was slightly different. Spent the better part of the day volunteering at Chadstone for "The World Greatest Shave" event. It went smoothly and we extended the hours till almost 4pm. Wondered how much we raised that day, never did find out. Last year all over Australia they raised over 46million (!) hopefully this year that amount's exceeded. It doesn't mean I didn't get to celebrate though, cos I did :)

Whole event's very well-organised. Tables were all set up and ready to go, the actual people who did the shaving/haircuts/coloring came from the Shaver Shop and a salon in Chadstone (no not me!). Also had a lively MC who kept going "so who's our next victim..er participant.." hahhh... Generous sponsorship also meant we had raffles for 2 large hampers (pic below) and auctions for items such as DocMarten shoes, kiddy clothing voucher/bear, eskies and camping gear, hardware stuff etc. Pretty attractive stuff..

Bummed with Gillian at Fed Sq for awhile once I got to the city, too cold to take any photos.. just chatting about how far we've come, and what lies ahead..complicated sometimes. Met up with the rest for dinner @ Soul Mama StKilda. Apparently they hv a nice view facing the sea and all but TOo bad it was soo dark we couldn't see anything :( its dark by 5 plus these days.. and the cold!!! omg it was so windy that night its not funny.

Dinner was fine, company was great. Most of my friends don't know each other, so this's basically the first time some of 'em get to meet each other. Unfortunately MinHui couldn't make it for dinner so we adjourned to Starbucks for awhile to "visit" her. Crazy-crowd meant we didn't even have time to talk..

So.. Di's turned 23.
Thanks for all your kind wishes/messages/gifts.
Thanks for night out @ SoulMama.
Thanks for the CDs - you knew, and remembered.

36-hour-days, where art thou??

2006-05-01T01:26:00.000+10:00

I am in serious need of 36 hour days right now. It doesn't help when I spot MORE interesting books left right and centre. With only a month or so of uni life left, I still have absolutely loads of books to go through. Its all for own interests hence it is in addition to the readings for Asian Studies.

alamak aku dah nak pengsan.

Monash's libraries' like my version of Borders. You name it - they have it. Current reads in order of priority:
~ World is Flat (yes I've just begun..been finishing up something else) -- I'm definitely getting the expanded 2006 copy. Amazon's got it on 40% off! arhh at these times I lament my lack of a credit card. KL already selling the paperback one (thanks SK!), while in Melb apparently they don't stock it (one has to order) hahh so weird.
~ A World of Nations (Keylor)
~ China, Inc.
~ The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy (interesting title huh)
~ Winning (Jack Welch)

Wonder how many more I can finish by next month..?

*On a sidenote..I have a question for all my friends. What does "friendship" mean to you? Have u actually spent time thinking about what it actually means to your relationship with the people around you? Are you "friends" with them for conveniences' sake or do you truly value the relationship? People here are increasingly taking things for granted, at least I feel they are. I get the feeling many people around me are going "ah we'll be friends always", when I think the relationship (close as we may seem on the surface) has degenerated into that of "acquaintance" instead.

I don't mean I feel that way about ALL my friends. There are exceptions of course. ie with MH and me, after being friends for more than 20 years, we're still going strong. But how many friendships inspire that sort of confidence?

"Alternatives"

2006-04-30T00:20:00.000+10:00

Nothing very exciting going on lately..but my May schedule's full - verily extremely full. Didn't realise my (beloved) uni life's gonna end in just 4 weeks time!

Some friends think I've been sending a gazillion or so applications. I haven't la. Prob due to much lighter workload this sem, its been more of a "prepare-thyself-for-work" kindof semester. By now, its quite clear I won't be staying on in Australia. Bet it surprises many to hear that. PR's abit of a hassle since IELTS tests are fully booked out till next year and I'm not willing to wait that long hanging around doing nothing. There are options of course:
a. Return to KL, take IELTS. Return to Melbourne, apply for PR -- not very likely.
b. Return to KL.
c. Work elsewhere.

Aussie immigration rules means no PR = cannot apply for graduate jobs. But nothing stops me from applying for other jobs, s'long as its not Aussie ones. Been reading Nelson Bolles's "What Color is Your Parachute?" and the one thing that striked me - "alternatives". To have alternatives, and to know what we can offer to the organisation and not just what they can offer us. Its a book I highly recommend to job-seekers. Heartily agree with him - we have faith in God, but we can't sit there doing nothing for months and wait for God to drop a job into our laps.

Just been thinking..I'm about to graduate with an Accounting major, but I've not really considered the opportunities offered by the Big4. I've sent 4 applications as of today (regulator/bank/bank/MNC), hopefully will have some news in the coming weeks. Some have very attractive programs, and with my recent "never-say-die" attitude I think its worth spending some time applying.

May'll be a big month. Some employers from Asia are coming, mentoring for YAA's starting and major presentation + research essay + final test for Asian Studies. I've gotten a YAA group sponsored by BAE Systems and we'll be meeting at their corporate office - so nice! last year my team met in uni :( With 5 mentors from BAE and an external mentor, they seem very "up" for the program this year. Can't make it for the mentors' first meeting next week as its clashing with a workshop and an employer's event in the city. Quite ironic how everything seemed to fall on that particular Tuesday. So folks from May onwards I'll be in city from 5-7pm. (Dinner on Tuesdays anyone?)

Update 21/4

2006-04-21T00:36:00.000+10:00

Easter break's this week. I'm not anywhere so its kinda deflating. A whole lotof ppl've been asking what I've been doing lately..so here's an update:

Last weekend went for yumcha in the middle of nowhere - somewhere in Doncaster, far but with exemplary service.. teman-ed Jean to Amanda and Nicole's house-warming.. caught up with some old friends.. realised I'm detached from some other old friends (which may become non-friends the way things go on).. and got frustrated with a very old friend. Confused yet?

We seemed to have completely skipped autumn and headed straight to winter. Such has the weather been of late. Windy. Rainy. On and off and on and off.

Just the other day I almost felt my wallet 'bleeding' when I forked out the cash for both the digital cam and SLR batteries. Those tiny CR2 batteries cost AUD20! plus another 20 for the digicam ones.. aigh...Is it my imagination or has the prices of everything gone up - again?

Actually I would've liked to be off rayau-ing somewhere this week.. but am participating in FutureLeaders in uni these 2 days. When I went in this morning, didn't really know what to expect. What was surprising was meeting some familiar faces from our group of 20. Some were from other workshops I'd been to before, someone from the photography club, another from my mock interview and Pon! Kinda funny cos the night before I was just chatting with Pon on MSN, telling him I had to get offline cos I had to go uni the next morning and the next thing I saw was him coming in for the session :P both of us blur ppl didn't tell each other hahh

Program runs for 2 full days, quite fun cos by afternoon most of us'd gotten to know each other. It involves looking at some of our different attitudes and perceptions towards leadership. Had some group activities and there were some intriguing things I discovered about myself, especially in one of the last activities. Prob elaborate more later when I finish tomorrow's session.

Have some work lined up for the next coupla days.. Applications to be readied and sent out, resumes to be amended.. Major essay topic for my Asian Studies unit yet to be decided. Last semester did globalisation, outsourcing, plus presentation on China. Don't really want to repeat any "old" topics. But I don't want to frus over getting sources so its gotta be a contemporary issue with sufficient resources. The last essay I'll ever write in uni :( ahh i need ideas!!

Thinking bout issues.. having my doubts now whether I shd continue reading The World is Flat. My copy's from 2005 and our dear Mr. Thomas Friedman's so quickly expanded it into another 100 pages for the 2006 revised edition. According to Ben its already out so.... hmm maybe I should just order a copy since I've decided I wanted to keep a copy anyways (yes - order. Apparently they don't stock Friedman. How can you not stock Friedman?!?).. next stop - Angus&Robertson :) and the bank too. Seeing how I'm broke this month, my dad has sent me a very amusing email. Short as it was, it contained plenty of dry humour. Refugee indeed :D

988

2006-04-11T14:03:00.000+10:00

Listening to the 988FM afternoon radio drama brings back fond memories. Coupla years ago on our Pangkor/Penang trip we used to listen to it everyday since we were on the road at the same hours each day. Some things change. Then, we were all carefree 19 yr olds. Now, most are working white collar jobs and bemoaning the long hours. But some things don't change - the drama is still regularly broadcasted on weekdays. I find it amusing that I'm listening in from thousands of miles away..and the setting for today's drama is in Melbourne 'n Sydney hahh

Sabah Day 2 KK-Pulau Gaya (Gayana)

2006-04-05T01:25:00.000+10:00

In KK, we stayed at Marina Court (owned and managed by Promenade Hotel) which is just a coupla doors away from Promenade and Api-Api Centre (shopping mall). Cost - RM340 per night for a 3-bedroom apartment. Abit steep, but its at a convenient location. Our apartment faces the sea, and the 5 islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park (Pulau Gaya, Sapi, Mamutik, Gayana and Sulug) can be seen from a distance.

SiowPing and LiKai during brunch "eyy what did you take??"

Further down the road (10ish minutes walk) is the KK Filipino market where pearls (dubious origins or not I dunno), tourist trinkets and souvenirs etc can be bought. Be warned though, that the listed prices of goods are ridiculously high. Which was also the reason why we didn't get anything from there. After brunch we caught the boat to Gayana Island Resort on Pulau Gaya.

KK Jetty

And finally we reach our Pulau!

Pulau Gaya - largest of the 5 that make up TAR Marine Park, but not the most-developed. Tucked away on one side of the resort are the 44 chalets. Kinda exclusive cos we have the whole place to ourselves, there's no public beach hence no outsiders. Water's green compared to the others' blue. While we were there it was all cloudy and the water didn't look very appealing for swimming. So basically we just bummed, took some silly pictures and bummed sommore!

A very good place for bumming I must say. We took 2 chalets (RM90 per pax includes breakfast, accomodation and return boat transfer). Environment's quite rustic, (sea)food at the sole restaurant was good (and relatively cheap - which was a surprise! considering its the only place serving food, they could've hiked the price).

The chalets look good yeah..Its not as "modern" kampung style as some other places, but good enough. Interior of the chalets look almost exactly as that on the website, didn't take any proper photos of it.. There's a nature pool at the end of the chalets, cordoned off. Not many live corals though (due to the time of the year and also location le). There's also another beach area at the end. We people were too busy bumming, didn't really walk around much :)

Next.. Day 3: Island hopping/KK - Kinabalu Park

Sabah Day 1 KL-KK

2006-04-05T00:36:00.000+10:00

My very belated Sabah posts are finally on the way.. The 5 day trip in mid Feb was well worth, returned with loads of photos, some good some so-so and others - drastic. Most of the days were very cloudy/rainy, leaving precious few moments for photography.

Us :LiKai, Samuel, Joe, Lorraine, SiewWeng, SiowPing and Di.
When :16-20th Feb 2006

off.. on a not-so-smooth AirAsia flight..

We spent the first day driving around KK town in 2 cars (SiowPing's Iswara plus a rented Kelisa - RM90 a day). Saw some of KK's landmarks, including Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Yayasan Sabah building. Also managed to see the Universiti Malaysia Sabah campus (HUGE!) - they have their own beach, jetty, aquarium(?), mosque etc in addition to all the uni buildings, very nice campus environment. Views looked fantastic with the sea on one side and the mountains on the other..

Queen Elizabeth Hospital, KK

We also passed by this amusing sight near UMS when we went to pick up the car..

And look - they have traffic jams in KK too :) albeit only for awhile.. taken on the way to UMS during the evening peak hour. Dinner was a seafood affair. Seemed to be our unlucky day as our first choices for dinner (and lunch too!!) were closed! But it was great nonetheless. No photos cos we were too busy digging in to all that fresh seafood hahh..

Sunset from UMS jetty 16-Feb-2006

Coming soon..Sabah Day 2 KK-Pulau Gaya

Pause. Step Back. Reflect.

2006-03-30T23:59:00.000+11:00

Have done a lot over the past 2 weeks. Chatting with a friend on IM today, I realized something. I've gotten busy to a stage where I don't even know why I'm so busy.

So its time to pause, take a step back and reflect.

This interesting article from Time caught my eye -- "The Multi-tasking Generation" with the opener....They're e-mailing, IMing and downloading while writing the history essay. What is all that digital juggling doing to kids' brains and their family life?...

I read while waiting/catching the train.
I listen to music while researching/studying.
I watch drama while waiting for the water to boil.

There's hardly any moment when I focus on only one thing. Scary huh what's happening to our lives now.. when we think properly, how many emails do we get that are ones from friends simply saying "how're u doing? whats going on in your life now?". Junk mail, mail from work, chain letters etc seem to make up the bulk of the inbox. Even when we have the capabilities for instantaneous communication, "personal" communication seems to have suffered..

on other things.. went for an interview with the Securities Commission yesterday. Mother was quite keen to hear about this opportunity - cos this meant the possibility of me working back home hahh :)

Sometimes there's so much noise in our lives we tend to get caught up in irrelevant matters. 4 years ago, I wouldn't have thought I'd be here, doing what I'm doing, meeting the people I'm meeting, learning the things I am. So -- God is good. He definitely knows what He is doing, unlike me sometimes hahh..

Isn't it scary..

2006-03-27T02:53:00.000+11:00

..to have 2 people tell you in a day that being fluent in English, Chinese, Malay & Cantonese is not sufficient?!

Of these 2 fellas who said that, one's from China, the other's from Turkey. They both raised the need to acquire another language - a European one. French/Italian/German preferred. To only know Asian languages (besides English) is confining oneself to the Asian region? We can't really ignore Europe, can we?

Phew that short conversations I had with them yesterday really showed me how competitive things are now. Of course not everyone even begins to think of aquiring another language. But I've started thinking, how many can one handle? Am taking beginner's Japanese in uni now as an elective and hoping to learn Korean on my own, so its pretty much the limit, else i'll get all my thoughts muddled up..if all else fails, there're always translators around hah.

The next few days schedule looks really tight..Mon - 4 classes & 1 workshop, Tue - 3 sessions till 9pm, Wed all day (hopefully) in the City, Thu seminar in Clayton, Fri meeting in the city. All that plus a ton of reading to get through. Getting rather distracted by some books (which may be a good, or not-so-good thing). Good - its interesting, and its on my fave subject matter of late - globalisation/intl relations. Not-so-good - its distracting me from finishing up all the required readings (which is also interesting, but currently ranks a little lower on the interest threshold).

Current reads:
~ "China and Southeast Asia: Global Changes and Regional Challenges", collection of essays/journals edited by Ho Khai Leong and Samuel C.Y. Ku (2005) -- interesting studies/insight into the region's dynamics.
~ Thomas Friedman's "The Lexus and The Olive Tree" -- this book just leapt to the top of my must-acquire-for-collection book. Very very interesting, and easy-to-read format. Am (still only) halfway through.
~ "Globalisation and Its Discontents" Stiglitz -- i thought it would be talking abt what shaped globalisation etc, but am halfway through this, and so far its been his perspectives as an insider at the World Bank.

Next, next and next on the desk:
~ Gerald Tan's "Asian Development" -- its actually one of my prescribed readings for the ASN unit.
~ William Keylor's "A World of Nations" -- only flipped through it, but looks interesting
~ the Vervoorn text -- the textbook for ASN.
~ New Directions in Tropical Asian Architecture -- I haven't forgotten one of my passions :P

Possible reviews of those books when I'm done, maybe just a simple opinion in terms of ease of "readerbility" (whether its one which's easily understandable or one which's stuffed full of jargon and complicated ideas)

Frus!!

2006-03-23T23:18:00.000+11:00

arghhh!!! so frustrated now. Just realised I bought the wrong lithium batteries for my film SLR. Those things cost a fair bit over here so I got them when I was back home. Didn't check properly before getting it hence CR1 (what I wanted) became CR123 (what I ter-bought)!! omg someone pls send some to me :(

Its funny how I didn't expect to be so caught up with things this semester. Thought I'd have plenty of time to sleep in, bumm around, read a book a day and blablabla. Surprisingly none of this has happened. Everyday passes by in abit of a blur. So much to do, so little time?! and no, dears, I'm not bumming at home as much as I'd like to.

Managed to go for a session of badminton at the Games on Tuesday. Turns out it was for men's doubles and women's doubles. It was quite worth it, as the Malaysian players were favourites, and they played really well. Both men's and women's duos got through to the next round. No photos unfortunately..the digi-cam batteries are acting all dodgy and died on me just when I got to the venue...the Msian players looked sharp and focused in their orange (gold?) tiger-striped shirts. Haihh tickets for badminton all sold out, else I think it'd be nice to go for the other matchdays..but they're definitely the crowd favourites, and mine!

On other things.. graduate recruitment. Not so simple as simply sending in the resume to secure a job eh? There are things that employers are looking for. The BIG question is - how do we become WANTED? Of course we all think we special individuals with unique qualities. But problem is conveying all of that in the space of 2 pages (resume) and a cover letter.

A mentor of mine once said "Don't ever sell yourself short". It reminds me, while not exaggerating our abilities, to ensure that we don't underestimate ourselves. I was talking to G a coupla days ago, relating what I've heard of graduate employment so far. In certain companies, only a handful of positions (4-10) are available, whereas they get >1500 applications. Chances of success seems limited eh?

But my point to G was -- if you don't even try, there's ZERO chance. Meaning you've already given up. How defeatist can that be? G laughs.. :)

Me?

2006-03-20T22:28:00.000+11:00

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion:

You have medium extroversion.
You're not the life of the party, but you do show up for the party.
Sometimes you are full of energy and open to new social experiences.
But you also need to hibernate and enjoy your "down time."

Conscientiousness:

You have high conscientiousness.
Intelligent and reliable, you tend to succeed in life.
Most things in your life are organized and planned well.
But you borderline on being a total perfectionist.

Agreeableness:

You have low agreeableness.
Your self interest comes first, and others come later, if at all.
In general, you feel that people are not to be trusted.
And you're skeptical that anyone else really feels differently.

Neuroticism:

You have low neuroticism.
You are very emotionally stable and mentally together.
Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly.
Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure.

Openness to experience:

Your openness to new experiences is high.
In life, you tend to be an early adopter of all new things and ideas.
You'll try almost anything interesting, and you're constantly pushing your own limits.
A great connoisseir of art and beauty, you can find the positive side of almost anything.

The Five Factor Personality Test

Games Opening.. by the Yarra

2006-03-16T02:06:00.000+11:00

"Fanciful, fun and creative", as described here.

We crammed into the banks of the Yarra river for the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony on a cool evening. Finally the cold front's arrived (temperature's dropped to below 20). Else it would've felt abit claustrophobic cos of the massive 100,000 plus crowd. We missed the fireworks finale :( all because we left early to avoid the crowd. oh well.. hopefully the closing ceremony'll have more spectacular fireworks. Here's some photos>>

Massive crowds lining the banks of the Yarra. Note the heavily overcast sky. Fortunately our notoriously fickle weather held out.

The fish sculptures (which spout water and dancing lights and also fireworks!). Apparently Malaysia's represented by the arowana (did I spell it right?) but it wasn't facing us so..no photo of that.

The evening sky awash with splendid colours.. This, my friend, is a Melbourne sunset :D

Pre-show at 7.30pm was a bore. Commentators had nothing much to offer, except (keep trying to) induce the crowd to cheer "MelbourneEEEE". In the G (Melbourne Cricket Ground for non-Melbournians) it wasn't much better. We could see from the big screen, and they had some cricket thingy going on.

And then it began! Pyrotechnics galore as we witnessed scenes of a flying tram, a duck (?), giant koalas, haunting music and more. Funny how while we were waiting at the Yarra, Jean and I were thinking how's the tram going to make its entrance.I certainly didn't consider it "flying" in (amazing engineering feat eh, considering the fact that hundreds of performers were IN it in the air).

Fireworks at the Yarra were sensational - this's an understatement. Combined with fireworks from major skyscrapers by the Yarra, this's really the best-est fireworks display I've ever seen! Unfortunately only hv lousy photos to show for it - simply no place for my tripod..

And then there was the laserlight/water/music display:

Flotillas of surfboats representing previous host nations made its way down river, plus other processions of competing nations and representing another Melbourne obsession-- 16 boats carrying the AFL's team captains (footy aka Aussie Rules football).

On our way back, bumped into the British BBC reporter near Flinders. Lady reporter's getting feedback on the Games opening ceremony from the diverse crowd.

And now, I'm off to bed. Let the Games begin! :)

Going to the Games!

2006-03-14T01:09:00.000+11:00

Financially its quite tight this semester, but I wouldn't have given up on going to the Games.. so..

we're going for Rhythmic Gymnastics (womens' team event) and Badminton. Rhythmic gymnastics was initially a sold-out event, but at mid-day today some tickets were released..last minute we were, and fairly lucky eh..

Total cost: $45. Everything else is too expensive (i desperately want to go for the opening ceremony but cheapest available seats cost $420 each O_o) so now we'll prob end up watching the opening ceremony at one of the live sites..

The plus side of being here -- Festival Melbourne 2006. Held in conjunction with the Games, its offering concerts, performances, choirs, circuses, art shows and there's even an artificial beach in the CBD and more. Best thing -- its all FREE. The list of events are so long I had to drop by the info centre today to get a booklet/schedule. Check it out here.

The city's never been so crowded, the roads never so jammed-up, the streets never more full with police/security/volunteers (in every corner)/tourists, the flowers never prettier.. bring it on!

Frankston beach

2006-03-14T00:20:00.000+11:00

Yesterday was a sweltering 36degrees. Must've been crazy of us to head to the beach. But the beach was very windy. Hot, but not that hot. It was only when we got back that we were greeted with a whoosh of hot dry heat once the train doors opened.

Frankston was alright. I rate it 6/10.

The positives:
~ clean, patrolled beach
~ not-too-steep seafloor, ideal for swimming
~ astonishingly clear water (we could see schools of fish and the seafloor from the pier)

The negatives:
~ the sand's not very fine. Looks like recycled sand (grounded seashells) everywhere.
~ whats with the shops??! half or more of 'em weren't open for business. One couldn't even go across the road to get an ice-cream.

Getting there:
Take the Frankston line to the last stop - zone 3 (about an hour journey from CBD). If you hold a weekly/monthly Met ticket like me, you can travel for free across all zones on weekends. Once you get off the train, just cross the road, walk for ten-ish minutes past the shops and you'll hit the beach. Note: most fish&chipperies/cafes/restaurants are nearer to the train station side.

some fine & apparently rather fragile dunes..

the pier is further ahead from this pedestrian bridge

In Frankston, you can swim/dive/parasail/jet-ski/go fishing like those folks above, or bumm with your legs dangling over the pier reading a good book, just like us :D

Talking about books, I'm halfway through Thomas Friendman's "The Lexus and the Olive Tree". For anyone interested in globalisation, I HIGHLY recommend it. I'll draw my own conclusions when I finish it (and his other book - "The World Is Flat") but thus far its a very engaging read. Reviews from google.

Pics from here and there..

2006-03-12T00:36:00.000+11:00

Shoulders aching, in need of a massage from Sam-the-man. Unfortunately one cannot just wish for a transporter and whiz him through the thousand miles. Spent a good 3 hours pottering about in the kitchen. Suddenly I'm very gian to cook. Today's theme was Korean..
~ pan chan of taugeh and spinach (Korean side dishes)
~ Chap Chae (potato starch noodles)
~ stew (miso + beancurd + meat + mushrooms)

Realized there's tons of photos lying around in my comp. Mostly from the trips during the hols. There's no single theme for the photos, so its kinda messy.

These 3 -- Melaka '05

Next 2 -- Muar, Johor.

I have this admiration for clouds. God playing with His paintbrush imho.

Next 2 -- Chinatown Singapore

[usually I don't post family photos online -- but they're here in this photo. squint and you may see -- Lady in pink (mother); lady in light blue (grandma); lady in dark tee (sis) and my dad]

Parting shot..in a Singapore hotel

Time to say oyasuminasai (going to sleep!) Gotta finish up another 3 articles and off to bed I go. Tomorrow morning we're off to Frankston. Yupp Di's quite ulu. Almost 2 years in Melb and first time going there. We'll be bumming at the beach under the sweltering 36degrees sun with a good book O_o then its off to church..

random stuff..

2006-03-09T15:37:00.000+11:00

Blogged 2 days ago, but it never did see the light of day cos as I clicked "publish post" it just went "Blogger's experiencing server problems". OMG wasted saja..cos as usual didn't back it up :(

~We managed to yumcha on Tues. Hanging out like that is fun. No pressures/commitments. The length of time doesn't really matter. And thats what I enjoy. What a difference to a mundane life it makes.

~Dinner at Lygon yesterday was also good fun. We dined at some unpronouncable restaurant (decidedly more upmarket than the usual Italian eatery eh, thanks Doreen for the meal!), ate some unpronouncable food..met some interesting people..

:: some pics I never did post :: of the buddies and me :: lorraine, siowping, siewweng, likai, chris, last but not least of stress-free-Sam aka Samantha who ever-willingly poses for photos like these below with me =) and not forgetting gillian who's right here in Melb.

**edit** photo of likai n me removed - needs to be resized for posting

Simple people, simple friendships..

Changes

2006-03-03T00:00:00.000+11:00

Whats changed since I last blogged:

~ went off to Sabah..had a terribly delayed AirAsia flight back to KL (blog later abt it)..then came back to Melb

~ missing the daily massage sessions..and the bumming with my mates

~ started uni..final semester.

~ resumed reading. (we deprived lot came back and realised hey a new community library opened up in the neighbouring suburb and its FREE)

~ tried (trying) to get my "hajimemashite" and "doozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu" right without blabbering off

~ finally finished watching "My Girl" (korean drama) - highly recommended!

~ got sunburnt. The sun has been relentless eversince we got back. First day back - 36C. Then the following day KL-style thunderstorms. oh how pleasant weather (sarcasm intended).

~ petrol price increased by 30cents in Malaysia, with the resulting savings "intended" to be channeled to improve public transportation. On this, I have only this to say -- "hahh". The rakyat don't see it improving anytime soon. All the parliamentary committees won't improve anything, hence they set up even more committees. All these years, nothing's changed. KotaKinabalu has better public transportation than us. What a bloody joke. (btw bloody's not an offensive word in Aus)

Basically been melting under the relentless heat this week. Went to o-week and hung out at our booth (thats how I've been getting burnt). Hung out with someone today in the city. Just an impromptu meetup..Its nice to be able to just do that, while sitting in a cafe talking about anything and everything.. 遗憾that I can no longer do that with a certain friend back home. oh well..

Off to Sabah - suggestions?

2006-02-15T01:15:00.000+11:00

We're off to Sabah on Thursday, hence this lazy blogger did some googling today. Its been more than 10 years since I've set foot in KK, can't really remember much then.. Thanks to SiowPing and LiKai, the itinerary's decided and proper bookings made (for once we made bookings!)

Day 1: Kota Kinabalu - Promenade Hotel Apartments.. seafood, UMS, Filipino market?
Day 2: Pulau Gaya - Gayana Island Resort, part of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park (looking forward to bumming at the beach!)
Day 3: Kinabalu Park - Nepenthes Lodge (it looks mighty fine in the pic)..hmm..they're providing firewood. Do we actually even know how to light a roaring fire??
Day 4: Travel back to Kota Kinabalu, proceed to Beaufort and depart for Tenom on the oldest train in Borneo (and according to SiowPing, it smells/is cramped hahhha we're gonna have so much fun on that 2 and half hours train ride - each way!). Overnight in Tenom.
Day 5: Back to KK, then back to KL.

Looking forward to a good trip with the buddies. Very fortunate we've frequently travelled together hence we know there's no "whiners" on board. At least, I hope not =)

Now is there anything that is a "must-see/do" in the above-mentioned places? Comments're appreciated!

2006-02-06T19:11:00.000+11:00

Have hardly been online over the past coupla days..the hols' "routine" is followed - yamcha,sleep,watch movies, read..actually cut the "reading" part. Can't really afford to get the books I want. Book No 1 - RM89.90, Book No 2 - RM69.90. Thinner than any of my Tom Clancy novels yet so costly.. aigh.. will prob have to wait till I get back to return to my reading habits.

Speaking of going back.. only 2 weeks or so left. Eeps 2 weeks to sort out some stuff, pack and sort out my resume (which doesn't look very professional at the moment).

I need a job (in Melbourne)
I need a job (a part-time one)
I need a job (which suits my time)
and I shall get one.

But before that, I shall think about the trip. Sabah here we come!! :)

everyday also (traffic) jam

2006-01-27T04:13:00.000+11:00

November jam cos of Hari Raya
December jam cos of Christmas
January jam cos of Chinese New Year

Eversince I'm back for the hols, there hardly seemed to be a "jam-free" day. Driving on PJ roads are enough to make one rant and rave. No wonder all my friends who drive here are so impatient. I'm fast using up the accumulated "patience" levels from Melb.

Quite ridiculous really..
a return trip from Kelana Jaya to SS2 = 40 minutes
single trip from Sect 14 to SS2 = 30 minutes

I don't think I like CNY so much. Driving around makes me impatient (actually the process of "negotiating" for the car also gives me some heartburn). Everywhere's packed with rude obnoxious drivers. I've had my fair share of them esp in SS2. Seems like everyone converging here to get their CNY stuff. Oi go elsewhere la!

You know when they say women are some of the worst drivers? I agree. Esp after one kiasu auntie almost banged me when she swerved into my parking space when i was reverse-parking. Rude and impudent, she was probably on her way to the corner BBQmeat shop to join the queue that stretches out to the five foot way.

Over the past few days, I've encountered the well-known "Malaysian driver", been semi-blinded by some idiots' permanent high-lights and wanted to swear at more drivers than I can recount. They should simply be ashamed at themselves. No common courtesy, jumping queues at all possible opportunities, generally exhibiting hazardous behaviour.

yeah everyone knows I like going yamcha. But its really weird how packed my area gets at night. By that I mean how we still have to go round looking for parking at 1am on a weekday (!)Seems like SS2's becomed the hub for yamcha, with all the char-chan-teng (HK style coffeeshop cafes) sprouting up left right and centre. er..all those ppl no need to work-ar??

Migration..work in KL..?

2006-01-21T23:50:00.000+11:00

Something in TheStar today about changes to Australian immigration rules sometime in May this year -- measures aimed at graduates who intend to apply for permanent residency. Which will affect me (if I decide to stay on after graduating). Apparently PR isn't really working out for some of them. I suppose the issues would probably deal with communication and gaining the requisite skills required for one to stay on and contribute to their economy.

All this while, their stance has been "only the skilled need apply". Hence I find interesting this article in TheAge today - "Migrating to a World Without Borders"

...it is already an "entirely utopian" hope that unskilled jobs could be filled without migrant workers. That is because of an apparent paradox: high-skilled economies generate a lot of low-skilled work. Think of the hospital orderlies, hotel staff, waiters, labourers and cleaners needed to run the modern, service economy...These jobs have two significant characteristics: unlike factory work, they cannot be exported to China. And in Britain and elsewhere, the increasingly well-educated local-born no longer want to do them.

Similar to what we discussed in uni last sem. Some things just can't be outsourced. You may outsource your payroll processing to India or Malaysia, but you'd still need someone to be salesperson/marketer in the firm etc. Low-skilled work is where the migrants come into the picture. Even in Malaysia, our unemployment rate isn't that bad and there's jobs available if one's not too fussy. Thats why we depend on foreign labour for construction sites/plantations/maids from neighbouring countries etc. They come in because locals don't want those jobs.

Taking a look at my (working) friends' lives now doesn't make me feel so good about the prospects of working here (KL/PJ). Some work on Saturdays, some don't. But almost all work till at least 7pm on weekdays. After going through the obligatory traffic snarls, its pretty late and all they have time for is dinner/bath/maybe some yamcha. On weekends, some get called back for support work/complete boss's requests. Last weekend on the short trip, 2 of 'em ended up bringing their laptops to finish up some work while the rest of us bummed.

The phrase "quality of life" seems to be an unheard of here. Of course all the parents will say this is a graduate's life etc etc etc. But no point earning all the money and having no time to spend it right? Inherent Asian mentality is : graduate--secure a steady job--get married--secure mortgage--live happily(?) ever after. And thats why few take up courses in the Arts or Humanities. Why?--"cannot find job".

Perhaps I'll get sucked into this routine of "life", where time passes and before you know it, you hit 40 and realise "OMG what did I do with the last 20 years??", suffer a mid-life crisis and grab a backpack and head off for a long-dreamt of trek of Asia. Whatever happened to making more out of the routine? Picnics at the park on weekends (hardly plausible in Msia though - think robbery/snatch theft/snoop gangs etc)? Taking some time out for community involvement aka volunteering?

Fortunately, I'm not 40 yet, nor am I in a mid-life crisis. But fact is, I'll be graduating in a few months time. DIMIA's decision (abt immigration) might help me decide. But for the moment, I'm still undecided about staying in Melbourne or coming back. Or even heading off to another country.

The article from the Age is quite apt, although thats interposed with a British perspective. In uni, one of the first things they teach in economics is the circular flow of goods and services. Add labour to that now. Imagine living in a borderless world where you go where your skills are in demand. Everytime you move from one place to another, you pick up new skills/experiences and add to your "value". But this's probably for the "skilled". And only for those who choose to do so.

Can't recall where I've readup on being a "global citizen". Could be in one of Kenichi Ohmae's readings last sem. Although citizenship is held in one country, the individual is as at home in other countries as in his/her home country. I guess thats what I want to be.

Unlike some friends, I've never said Malaysia is a bad place to return to. Friendly folks (well, mostly), fantabulous beaches and good food. On the downside - terrible traffic, uncivil folks (no sense of common courtesy or graces), erm..increasingly unhealthy situations in local governance and abit more. But mainly its the work culture I'm uncertain of.

Perhaps some good Sarawak laksa might sway my decision =) or perhaps exposure to more "fantabulous" beaches next month (Pulau Manukan/Gaya??).. still have 6 months to decide.

Last weekend - Port Dickson

2006-01-20T21:41:00.000+11:00

Bummed in PD last weekend. My oh my we almost couldn't believe our senses when we caught a glimpse of the "new" public beach (the one facing Petronas ard 4th Mile Jalan Pantai). Clear blue sky, greenish (!!) sea and amazingly a glistening white sandy beach!

Kinda surreal, since PD as we know it has a deserved reputation of "dirty water dirty beach". So... quite a surprise. The local government has finally decided to do something bout this place.

New sand in certain stretches of the beach..

(no blue skies 'cos this photo was taken the day after)

People: Lorraine, Joe, SiowPing, Samuel, Di, HauWei, LiKai, SiewWeng, Joanne, Chris
Location: AnCasa Resort AllSuites, Jln Pantai
Activities: Sleep, watch tv, bummm, rayau-rayau look for snacks, bummmm sommore hahh

All in all, a very lazy break with the buddies. Time constraints meant we couldn't go far hence ended up in PD. Took a 3 bedroom apartment for RM388nett.

AnCasa professes to have a "Balinese" theme in its decor. Overall, I'd say this place's quite a decent place to stay - clean, sufficient space, (fairly large) rooms, ample parking.

3 bedroom apartments at AnCasa comes with:
~ 2 queen 2 single beds
~ 3 bathrooms
~ an (empty) kitchen with fridge (funnily there were signs banning cooking, plus they supplied coffee/tea and cups/saucers but NO spoons/stirrers)
~ living area plus dining table
~ enough chairs
~ balconies (can bummm there, watch sunset or sit there pok-pek)
~ airconditioners in the rooms

They don't have a private beach of their own. But a side door next to the pool leads to the public beach.

PRO: Stalls along the public beach provide ample supply of mamak food/drinks. We dropped by for some burgers & kelapa (fresh coconuts)

Background shows one (of many) apartment blocks of AnCasa, foreground are the mamak stalls. Perfect for someone like me "yamcha anywhere/anytime" :P

Walk walk walk along the beach..

Me with some of closest kaki-kaki (buddies) -- this time quite literally.

Some obligatory sunset photos::

this's the view from our balcony

a new addition to my "sunset in Malaysia" collection

At night.. gluttons we are. After polishing off a heavy chinese seafood dinner (cheap cheap!) we ended up back at the pasar malam ard 4th Mile Jalan Pantai (next to Petronas). Bought more food and headed across the road to eat SOMMORE at the beach. From dinner to supper. No break in between =)

Joe & Lorraine

eh..some ppl are missing from this pic..

The "new" PD beach is trash-free at the moment. SiowPing and me ran along the shore for awhile in the dark -- no trash, no cut glass etc. Come back in 6 months, I'm sure the beach'll be back to its normal status le.

Some random pics::

A "norm" on our trips -- Sam can always be found in front of his beloved tv

HauWei..

We had to leave early the next day. S.Ping had a flight to catch in mid-afternoon..

The usual..settling of sums

Another usual..getting ready for our annual photo (oops I've got no copy of that)

So that was it.. end of a trip which I believe is first/last time where we're all back in KL.

Amusing letter

2006-01-11T15:12:00.000+11:00

Look what I found from TheAge this morning -- "Brother, can you spare your name?"

Am back from trip, blog later. Tonight going for the first lo-sang session of CNY '06. Everyone's back!

Just logged in to Monash's allocate system (for semester timetable) -- I'll prob have 2 days in uni, majority of time in Clayton campus instead this year..

Road trip to Kukup, Johor (pics)

2006-01-06T03:11:00.000+11:00

This post's waaaay late. Finally photos are up!

Who: LiKai, Samuel, Kimberley, Thomas and Di
When: Sometime over a busy weekend last month

Left KL, stopped by Melaka for a late breakfast (plus pick up Thomas) and then to JB for Kimberley's birthday occasion (a quick case of drop by, blow cake, sing the birthday song and scramble to Kukup before it gets dark)

Here're some of the shots:

Stopping by in Melaka basically means dropping by for this --

Now how does one get to Kukup? And why Kukup you might wonder? Kukup is the village nearest to Tanjung Piai - geographically the southernmost tip of mainland Asia (more on Tj Piai later). Since we've "road-tripped" our way to all other Peninsula states, it was about time we made it to Johor.

To get to Kukup, you don't have to go all the way down to JB. Exit the North-South Highway at Pontian. From Pontian, look out for the signboards to Kukup. Or just head right to the end of Pontian town and turn left. None of my maps show the way in detail, but there's only one road so you won't get lost.

How does Kukup look like? Refer to photo below (er I never said I was a good photographer, so ignore Samuel looking blur)

The photo doesn't show much - simply because there isn't much. Kukup town is just that - one main street, some shops on one side and the bus stop plus the blue immigration office on the other. You know you've reached the end of the road when all you see is the in-the-midst-of-construction customs complex. Oh there's also the salty sea smell to guide you.

Now where'd one stay?

This's how Kukup mostly looks like. Houses on stilts they say, what I'd add is "concrete" houses on stilts. Most tourists (majority are Singaporeans it seems) stay in purpose-built holiday homes on one side of the village. They pay for a "package" which typically includes accomodation, bbq meals (pretty sucky imo cos its just those sotong balls, chicken wings, fried rice etc third-rate stuff), a boat ride out to kelong, and some entertainment of karaoke facilities and mahjong equipment. These packages range from RM70-90 i think.

Us? We ended up at the other side of the village - the side where the kampung people live. Parking at a particular spot in the village meant we were layaned by a very enthusiastic uncle to his er..hotel is an exaggeration. To his house actually, which doubles up as one cos its got extra rooms for visitors.

We stayed the night at this place - if you're not fussy, this's the real deal. More "kampung-like" than those concrete places and less noisy (no being surrounded by your neighbours belting out "I Will Always Love Youuuuuuuu" in the middle of the night)

This room's only RM60. Comes with air-con, TV, clean etc. I suppose its more than decent for that kinda price. You'd have to book in advance to get rooms at the tourist side of the village. Most are maxed out during the school hols.

Also comes with this --

where one can watch the sunset or just bum at night playing cards or something

Our neighbours.. kinda quaint eh

There isn't much to do in Kukup. Here's some of what we did:
1. Walk around - point and go "yukkk" (at least thats what I did when I saw this)

Thomas and Sam going on and on about sea-slugs/snails?, sea-rats, sea-ham etc etc (go figure). And yeah there's plenty of rats running around under the houses/walkways. And yes, they can climb. Y-U-K.

We also saw ---

Sea-snake??

2. Walk around somemore
You might see this temple around - 3 flights of stairs for a view of Kukup.

3. Enter one of those seafood restaurants facing the sea, view a quick sunset..

photo taken near where they're building the new customs complex

4. If you went on a ride to see the kelongs or Pulau Kukup, you'd arrive just in time for dinner

5. Eat!

Seafood's pretty fresh, at a decent price.

That was about all we had time to do, for the day. Night was spent playing cards and sipping on some wine made from dragon-fruit (apparently a Kluang product, retails for RM40 a bottle at grocers in Kukup).

We went to Tanjung Piai the next day.. will post later since this post's way long. Oops have a flight to catch in a coupla hours time. I'll be back next week..

What to see/do in Sibu?

2006-01-03T05:37:00.000+11:00

Am heading to Sibu this weekend for a coupla days. Googling "what to do in Sibu" and "Sibu attractions" haven't really given me many ideas.

Actually this is a return-to-hometown trip, 'cept this's the first time in almost a decade since I've been there. Parents' hometown would perhaps be more apt. Have been looking forward to all the food:

~ kampua noodles (though its also available in Taipan) -- more authentic in Sibu, plus they don't put so much char-siew

~ Laksa -- er, Taman Megah has a stall offering decent Sarawak laksa if anyone's ever interested

~ "tiang-piang-ngu" (darn, Foochow dialect's kinda diff to translate) -- something not available outside of Sibu (?). Actually I don't even remember how it tastes like but knowing my mother, this's prob something we'll eat right after we get off the plane :)

~ kom-piah -- wanna eat it freshly baked for once (cos everytime i eat this, its only after its travelled the hundreds of miles back to PJ hence is cold and hard and tasteless)

~ paku (a kind of vege/fern) yeah I like this, and its also not available in PJ/KL

~ tang-yuen (I remember the black sesame filling ones I had on the last visit, complete with syrupy soup?)

~ Sugarbun's fish burger (believe it or not before Sugarbun opened in Peninsula, we used to crave for this. Err.. a long time ago, it seemed to taste alot better in the large 3-lot Sibu Sugarbun outside Tanahmas hotel) its prob still there..

~ bamboo clams (unappetisingly described as "worms" by one review) apparently its quite a delicacy in Sarawak.. have eaten it before in S'gor though..

Phew quite a long list, and maybe more. OMG the amount of things we'll be stuffing into ourselves over the few days..mother seems to already be planning for what we're having each meal hehhe ie "tiang-piang ngu" on the first day, then on third day,so we'll get to eat it at least twice. Breakfast go "pa-lak" (their slang meaning "market/town") for kam-pua etc etc etc.

Now the other question -- whats there to do?? Being in Kuching would've meant I'd get to visit Bako/Damai or something. But Sibu..?? An express boat ride upriver doesn't sound so agreeable now that I (think I've) sighted the crocodile last week in Muar. Erm the mighty Rejang River is known to be home to massive crocs (i've learnt they're called "bai-yak" in hokkien?). Imagination working overtime le.. Prob go Kapit/Sarikei/Mukah haven't decided yet.

There isn't enough time to do much of the nature/bio-tourism thingy, nor enough time to get to Kuching and back (travel time's too long). Options are prob just the Sibu town, and maybe a ride to Bintulu and back? So far I've gathered the attractions incl the 7-storey pagoda, Tua Pek Kong Temple (which I'm not very interested in seeing that I'm a Christian), Jubilee Park..

Suggestions anyone? I'll be there for 4 days.

Lazy blogger Di is

2005-12-31T16:16:00.000+11:00

I'm just so lazy to update these days. Gone are the days when the comp faces me, online 24 hours a day. (well, not exactly gone since those days will be back sometime in Feb when I get back to Melb ehhe)

Being at home means taking extra effort to switch on the desktop, switching it off when there's a hint of a thunderstorm (hse wiring is extra-sensitive to lightning strikes) and switching it off again at night (dad doesn't like the idea of it running all night). so mah-fan. Put it simply, this blogger's just lazy.

Returned from Johor and S'pore day before yesterday. Muar was alright, managed to sample the Mee Bandung, asam pedas (which would prob be better from the Malay rest. rather than the Chinese one i suppose), satay for breakfast plus a glance at Tanjung Emas (the local park). Looks like Muar town had a surprise visitor to its river. We saw a crocodile (aka BUAYA) right next to the jetty for the river cruise. It was going against the current and my, it seemed LARGE.

S'pore, best be left undiscussed till a later point. My verdict from this trip:
~ didn't see much
~ didn't buy anything
~ didn't take photos (disappointingly so) -- no night shots, no panaromic shots, no nothing. and thats despite lugging around the other camera.
~ travelling with family's definitely very different from those with mates

Anyways, to round up the week.. yesterday night popped by Friendster cafe at Damansara Perdana (a place recommended by Chris, good service nice ambience etc) for a bout of yamcha. These days I rarely drive out at night but yesterday was an exception. On the way back, nearing midnight got stuck with a badly gashed tyre (& punctured of course). Had to stop by in Taman Tun to sort it out. (My father came to sort it out for me le). Ol' friend was still with me hence it was alright. Initially we even thought someone slashed the tyre, seeing how badly gashed it was..but turned out to be a nail causing all the trouble.

Conclusion from yesterday night:
~ yamcha 'n meetin up = fun
~ flat tyre at night = not-so-fun

*this song "疯了" is playing in my head. Quite apt (for the thoughts in my head).

Realized this'll be the final post for 2005. So here goes:

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Wishing everyone a great year ahead!

My wishes for the new year? I want at least as good a year as 2005. We always demand more, don't we? On a personal side, I wished people would keep in contact more, call or talk face-to-face instead of sms-ing. As I've made known to most of my mates, I'm not a huge supporter of the current trend of "over-reliance/over-dependency" on this little gadget we call a mobile phone. Imho its taken over too much of our lives. So there. Have a good year guys!

Trip

2005-12-26T02:28:00.000+11:00

First things first, Di wishes everyone a very

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

we had a "small" Christmas gathering on Christmas eve, where the parents invited their friends plus the 20plus carollers from church. Rained as usual (it rains on Christmas eve every year!) hence the caterers were forced to place the foodstuff inside, which together with the slightly larger than expected crowd meant a rather..hot atmosphere.

Not many photos cos I was busy serving drinks (no maid la). Anyways I'm still so lazy to upload the photos. Prob get it sorted out when I'm back.

Am going off tomorrow for a trip. One night in Muar (I do believe we're stopping there tempted mainly by their otak-otak), then prob 2 nights in Singapore. Don't have much idea of what to do in Singapore actually. It feels rushed, and most of the attractions are more suited to Caucasian tourists (ie Little India, Chinatown etc). Not very interested in some other notable ones such as Underwater World, S'pore Zoo etc.. cos I've been doing all that in Aus this year (Seaworld, Melb Zoo, Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary, penguins, polar bears, sharks etc) sudah bosan..there's only so much "wildlife in captivity" I can take.

Hope to slot some photography in (darn forgot to borrow likai's tripod!! I left mine at home in Melb...), am bringing some rolls of film but I don't like to be rushed when taking pics so.. we'll see.

Now checking out what Muar's got to offer. Been there abt 2 years ago and all I remembered was the river, my hotel, the bus station and otak-otak everywhere. Tomorrow shall go find:

Mee bandung Muar
Parit Jawa fishing village
Satay for breakfast on Tuesday

Someone's mentioned a place called "Tanjung" in Muar. Googling it shows me its a family park beside the river with some facilities/food. hmm.. prob drop by in the evening.

The next 2 months are gonna be interesting. More people are back, and SiowPing's coming back! Not once, but twice in January!! She'll only be back a few days, but I'm really looking forward to it -- yamcha, Teapot Cafe, pasar malam, Murni??

Itinerary for the next 2 months:
~ Jan 6th-9th Di's going Sibu, Sarawak (and maybe Sarikei/Bintulu)
~ Jan 13th-14th Port Dickson with buddies
~ Feb 16th-20th Kota Kinabalu with buddies (visit SiowPing), hoping to visit the islands and maybe Danum Valley??
~ Feb twenty-something returning to Melbourne (I almost think of it as returning home)

aah Melbourne.. looking forward to a slightly less busy semester. Unfortunately its going to be awfully quiet..

New kid on the block

2005-12-21T15:08:00.000+11:00

Whoaa this I've got to see when I get back..

"New Squid on the (ice) block" (newslink from TheAge in Melb)

After all, how often do we get to see 7-metre giant squids up close?? The eye does look scary though..

I had to double check just now -- today's Dec 21st! (already!) Not being in the workforce means I don't really keep track of dates, hadn't realised its so soon.. Christmas this weekend, next week heading down south to Johor (again) and S'pore for a coupla days. After thats Sarawak and when I get back, a few of my mates'll be back from Melb. Ain't the hols great?!

Hols update - 15 Dec

2005-12-16T00:33:00.000+11:00

Not been blogging much recently..erm due to a lack of interesting things to blog abt. One can only blog so much about mundane things..

I've a coupla spare minutes lying around now -- waiting for Chris to get off work (?) - he's running late. Planning to go for drinks with them instead of mamaking tonight. I'm almost (read- almost, not "have") had my fair share of mamak and HK-style cafes in recent weeks. They seem to have sprouted everywhere, esp where I live. But I shan't whine about having more choice. After all, more competition means consumers benefit. Darn, I'm thinking like an economist..

Traffic these few days in the Klang Valley is horrendous as ever. Went to Mid Valley yesterday, all the parking entrances were closed off as "full" and I ended up at zone H (kinda obscure-la). Queues for movie tickets stretched all the way to McD's (and this happening on a weekday!). Thanks M.Yee for getting the tickets, you're a dear :) I suppose its due to the school hols. Hopefully the crowds'll recede next month when the kids return to school. Or will it get worse due to the upcoming holiday season (aka CNY) next month?! Took me a fair bit of time just to get out of parking when I finished late with Narnia. Rushed to join the other crowd madness at Sunway Pyramid cos was meeting up with Jean. Stepped into Coffee Bean for probably the first time this year. Always had such a bad impression of their lattes but surprisingly yesterday's was decent enough..

Tomorrow might be heading to Melaka (subject to change). Can't think of much to see there, 'cept the touristy attractions (yeah the red colour what's-it-called building) and going for some food (the usual - chicken rice balls/sate celup etc). Much prefer to head to Penang. But in most likelihood the trip'll not materialise. Doesn't matter, I've just been there 2 weeks ago. Oops that reminds me, haven't posted the photos from Melaka/Johor yet. This blogger's lazy to select/resize/upload..

Grrr Chris's late.. He'd better not ffk (cancel last-minute).

Goin' travelling

2005-12-09T18:43:00.000+11:00

This lazy blogger does not update often now, since there isn't much to say. Now I can't go lookin' for a full-time temp job.. i'm finally doing some travelling :)

Jan -
~Sarawak (confirmed). Actually I wanted to go Kuching too, but don't think there's enough time.. Prob will go Kapit/Mukah/Sarikei on the side to get some village/river shots.
~a short buddies' trip to Port Dickson (BBQ?). Time constraints means we have only a few days "free" for travel. one night only..sigh. But better than nothing.
~Thinking of dropping by in Singapore cos Michael n Shaz are gonna be in town. MunYee - interested??

Feb - KK here we come!! For years I've been saying want to visit SiowPing in KK. Finally we take some action. AirAsia's current promotion meant we went through quite alotof hassle getting tickets. But yeah, 6 of us are confirmed going for 5D/4N. Round trip costs RM80 (flight). Cheap cheap cheap. But my first time taking AirAsia. Don't really fancy small aircrafts..

Now whats there to do in KK? Don't think we'll go climb Mt Kinabalu (I'm still scared of heights), prob drive up to mid? Tenom? Kundasang? Danum Valley? For sure we'll be visiting some islands and makan-ing seafood (I can already imagine likai salivating at the thought of his crabs hahha). Itinerary is pretty flexible since S.Ping's there and can do the bookings for us =)

2005-12-07T19:22:00.000+11:00

Back from the weekend trip to Johor. Will blog about it when I sort out the pics. In short - it was satisfying.

Although this's one of the shortest trips I've ever been on, 2 days 1 night is better than none.. have got a few decent photos (finally had opportunity to go around 'n be shutterbug).. Not very productive these 2 days, have only been helping my mother with some chores and played driver-of-the-day up till afternoon. In a short few hours, went from PJ to Shah Alam to Klang to Section 14 to home and then to Sentosa for lunch. Whew..

Heard about AirAsia's ticket giveaway (yeah they're giving away free tickets again!) but unfortunately I had the "luck" to be out without internet access. Won't even bother checking it now since pretty sure its all taken.. so looks like no travel for the hols.. unless its Penang next month?? Aihh lazy to think..

Meet-up list for the 'moment:
~Carrie
~Christine
~Li Sung
~Jessie
~MYee

Tonight -- yamchaaaaa. Yes, diana's back.

Back / food / I need a job

2005-12-02T19:06:00.000+11:00

gosh time passes really quickly. Its been half a month of doing-nothing (since I got back). Actually I've spent the better part of these 2 weeks being sick. Not the common cold, mind you. Caught the flu bug and no thanks to Msian weather, its lasted for 2 weeks.

Had no particular cravings when I got back, since everything tasted bland due to my flu. But these week went out and indulged abit - hence satay, nasi lemak, curry noodles, hokkien mee, taufu bakar, SS2 mamak's indomie goreng etc etc. Something struck me -- everything's sooo oily. Min'd have a fit if she saw all the oil (Koreans are sticklers for less/no oil please). No stomachaches or anything of that sort for me -- living in PJ all your life kinda makes you immune to (less-hygienic) hawker food le..

Hmm whats new? For one, I've just gotten Streamyx this week. Very late I know. Its funny how my father doesn't insist on getting broadband until he himself starts using the Internet this year and finds dial-up appalingly slow. So now - yupp I got it almost instantly after applying. Yesterday tried out connection for the 1st time and it was awfully slow. Bandwidth tests showed the speed at <50kilobits>

What else's new? My room's the same, weather's the same. Only the people are different. Many friends have started work, others are having their break. Quite a number not back from Aus/US/elsewhere. Desperately want to go somewhere, so tomorrow I'm heading to Johor with Sam and LiKai. Going there to look for Kimberly, and maybe heading to the coast. Which coast? Hehhe we don't know.

Going by our usual of "no-plans-style" of travel, we're off to JB first, then perhaps go rayau to someplace named "Kukup/Kongkong???" All I know is its a fishing village, visitors get a chance to stay overnight on floating platforms/huts. Father mentioned one gets to stay on "palong". I've heard its near Pontian. Will google for its proper name later, post photos when I'm back..

Am going to look for a temporary/full-time job. Of what nature? I haven't decided. But I'm pretty flexible when it comes to jobs. Stuff I've done - receptionist / admin / teaching / cashier / food promoter / telemarketing / data entry / retail etc etc. Maybe try F&B? Or accounting-related. Anyways, I'm available to work 7 days a week up till at least the end of January. I can work through Chinese New Year too (since we don't really celebrate that). The only issue is - I need Christmas Day off. But employers' hv been quite flexible when it comes to this.. so if u hear of anything available, leave a message!

Oops, off I am to google "Kukup/Kongkong/???"

I'm back.

2005-11-23T14:16:00.000+11:00

I'm back, and sick.

Arrived at KLIA last Tuesday and nothing has changed. The many taxi touts are still there, annoying both tourists and locals all the way from the arrival hall to outside. While waiting for my ride home (who was again Malaysian-style late) no less than 15 touts approached me asking "nak teksi??". Eh after half an hour of standing in front of you do I look like I need your illegal services? Annoying thing number 2 - all their ciggie smoke. I came back not to humidity -- which is still tolerable, but to what seemed to be an open air designated smoking area. At moments like this, I'm ashamed to be a local when the tourists/visitors are coughing and belching in this haze once they get off their flights.

End of rant.

Yeah I'm sick. Starting with sore throat - flu - cough - heachache - cough. Started once I got off the plane and after a week I'm still sick. But it hasn't stopped me from going mamak though.. So far only been to Kayu and Tmn Tun, meeting up with some mates. That, has not changed. Its as if I haven't been away for 10 months.

It'd be good to be in Melb though. After only a day here, I was bored. OMG my boredom threshold has plunged. Maybe this's after half a year of busy-ness. Or perhaps without 24 hour access to fast Internet I'm disconnected from all my news etc (my current connection's at a sad 48.0 kbps --laugh if you will). Ahh the fickleness of the mind..

next to do -- check Streamyx

End of semester.

2005-11-12T22:32:00.000+11:00

Drop dead tired. But life is good. Exams ended this week, and have been busy meeting up with people before leaving.

life's good - the why's:
~ Expect to get through all my units this sem.
~ Had a fulfilling year (more time spent "thinking" and "doing") rather than just turning one year older.
~ Desiyah has finished a successful year (by my expectations) -- we are runner-up for YAA's Company of The Year and won the environmental management award! =) pics from dinner up later.
~ I AM GOING BACK! (although I'm indeed having second thoughts about staying to wooooork...oh no the money!!!)
~ Melbourne weather just turned cooler this week (me likes cos me no-like humid weather)

Any regrets for the year? Not really. I don't like having regrets. Its one thing to look back and learn and its another thing to live in the past. The only niggly thing's probably on the personal side. Lazy to elaborate le.

Won't be blogging much over the next coupla weeks. Just heard about lightning busting my house's modem yesterday. Hence tak-de internet at home. So cham right?!

Ironic thing is while I've still got access to the net now, I'm too lazy/tired to upload/resize/re-upload photos of the past few days, which as expected was busy busy busy. Most time's meeting people for meals and pok-pek-pok-pek. I can almost hear you going "lazy bum lazy bum"...

Thurs - lunch with S.W. in the city, then to Caulfield, then to Oakleigh. Fri - lunch with Clayton girls, then awards dinner at Toorak. Sat - lunch with M.H. and L.I. in city plus teman them jalan-jalan at Bridge Road. woo hoo esp L.I. who managed to get a nice pair of jeans,tops/shoes etc. Tomorrow.. oops gotta call fellow blogger Jean. We're supposed to lunch? (reminder to self - check weather in case its crappy tomorrow).

Initially Monday was my "free" day - supposed to pack my bags etc. But Min wants to dine together before I leave. I realise I won't see her for quite awhile ("never" sounds rather awful hence I shall dismiss the vague uncertainties surrounding our ever meeting again and lets just use "won't see for awhile"). She's going back to Korea next month. Sigh.. I'm gonna miss her. Which is more than I can say for some others..

rambling..

2005-11-09T07:01:00.000+11:00

I read a lot. Mostly when I'm in Melb, mainly because I (pay to) have access to uni's resources - its magnificent library collection and e-resources. Having access to collections at 7 campuses means being able to request for any book/article I can think of. Even Harry Potter or some obscure novel.

Current book I'm trying to finish by the weekend - "International Relations: The Key Concepts". Very easy reading material, concise and layman's English used to explain essential terms. Darn I'm only up to "G" concepts..now if anyone wants an explanation of "casino capitalism", let me know ^_^

Question always raised - why Malaysians don't read? Blame the obscenely high book prices. Here, a paperback retails for around AUD22, compared to some ridiculous RM35+ in KL. Dollar for dollar, cost of living in KL seems so high. Thats my common complaint these days.

Anyways, having 24 hour access to the internet helps too. I still don't have Streamyx back home (though on hindsight it might be a good thing since there're so many complaints these days), but here.. read read read read read read read when I can, esp the news.

Interesting news recently:
~ Pirates attack cruise ship off the coast of Somalia (personally found it very audacious, interesting la)
~ Manchester United 1 - Chelsea 0. Didn't think they'd win. (a-ha for those of you who think I gave up watching football, just a note - I haven't. Though I've been deprived of matches for a long long long time and have no idea how the team really plays now) :P One more week and I'll get to watch a live match at last!!
~ Riots in France spreading to Brussels, Belgium etc. Brewing discontentment erupting. Curfew? State of emergency? interesting developments..
~ not forgetting our Aussie news yesterday -- swoop on terror suspects in Melbourne and Sydney.
~ me finishing my finals! in less than 12 hours time!!!

On something else..was in contact with some old friends these 2 days. Darn it feels good to catch up with 'em. My perpetual disdain for superficialness means I stay away from A LOT OF people, both here and back home. Call me aloof if you will.

Let me say this - quantity is never a substitute for quality, especially in friendships.

Also in the space of 2 days, have heard of some interesting goss (slang for gossip la). Congratulations and best wishes for LK and LS and CS!

Initially thought I was gonna have fun at the fun fair at One Utama when I get back. But now I don't wanna be a "lamp-post" with LS on the ferris wheel. So who's free to teman me?? I heard it ends on the 20th or something?

One left

2005-11-07T21:56:00.000+11:00

Last paper on Wednesday muahhahha =) Have sat for the tough ones, the final one's International Business -- imo its easiest of the lot, and only 40% -- which explains my hyperness over the weekend (as if I'd finish everything dy). Caught up with much needed sleep yesterday, since had very little over the past week (due to tax law and Advanced Financial Accounting Theory and Practice exams ---- even the unit has a longish tough name!)

I'm so gonna enjoy my hols. Haven't had one since the last break in June it seems. Bringing some shows back to KL to watch, plus my language notes and accompanying discs. I'm sure all my friends are gonna be "busy" with their work and all. Some others aren't even back in KL, how unfortunate..

Decided on the units for next sem. Its quite nice to be here, where there's so many choices for electives. Basically I can take anything from any of the other Monash campuses provided I meet the prerequisites. If I were back in Msia, I'd probably be stuck with only Business and Economics units as options. Browsing through Monash's list of units available, there's interesting ones such as the one on the Da Vinci Code, plus something on murders in 18th century England etc etc.

Nothing so grisly for me though. I want something "useful/interesting", not just something thats easy to pass. Poring through the list from faculty of Arts, I've decided on "Global Change and Changing Identities in Asia" and KOR1010 Korean. The former unit should be something related to the international studies I did this sem, while I'm still a little undecided on the latter. Only means I'll be spending some time on Clayton campus next year. Checked my timetable (yeah they're damn efficient, timetables available already!) and it looks good :)

Hmm..now I'm going back soooon. Checklist - buy stuff / pack / clean my room / box everything up / meet up with ppl I'm supposed to meet / clean my room sommore (super-duper-uber messy with papers and notes piled everywhere but wonder of wonders there's order amid the chaos -- i can find everything i need in all the mess) blablabla. Half feel like not going back so early now. Melbourne is home, though PJ is home too. I've been wanting to go back only because of the workload here, with all the deadlines and other stuff seemingly neverending. aiyer, see how le. I'm pretty sure I'll get bored by a week's time (due to my very low tolerance for "boredom")..

Melting in Melbourne (MIM)

2005-11-02T22:50:00.000+11:00

Melbourne's been extraordinarily hot these 2 days. Possibly even hotter than KL. Max temperature around 32 degrees. Its very unpleasant, to say the least. Esp when one doesn't even have a fan in the room. Luckily for me, I went fan-searching around the house (yeah i stay in a big big big house here) and "noticed" one at office backroom. But still, I feel as if I'm MIM..

When the weather's hot, it seems Melbourne's CBD is full of tourists (and police today -- terror threat i think). Oh before I forget, do let me declare -----

I'm DONE with DESIYAH!!!!

We are finally fully liquidated. And that was the purpose for me leaving my house early this morning. All liquidations form submitted to the YAA office, annual report, awards submission (Vic), national awards submission mailed to Sydney, cheques written out, (almost all) records closed.

Forms 1, 2,3,4,7,12,21,22,25,26,27,28 etccccc i can remember it all. After a whole half a year involved with this program, its a relief that its all over. The only thing to look forward to now is Awards Night next week =) And yeah next year I'll still be blogging on and off about YAA. Signed up to be a mentor for next year's program.

Back to the Melbourne CBD today. Almost everyone I met has been going "eh, its hot today isn't it?", with someone even telling me it was supposed to rain "at 7.30pm". I went "wow your weather forecasts that accurate?" but no, it didn't rain just now. Seems as if everyone's in such a good holidaying mood. Maybe cos they all profited from wagering on Makybe Diva in yesterday's Melbourne Cup?!

But really, in Melb it seems strangers talk to each other much more. I've struck up conversations with people everywhere. On trains, platforms, post office, expos, buying coffee etc etc. Service personnel here (some, not all) are generally polite and pleasant. A coupla days ago, I believe I encountered the most polite bus driver ever. He kept on saying "thank you-s" to passengers getting off. Its customary for us getting off to just voice "thanks!", but this fella seriously is just so nice. He actually sounds happy we took the trip. Not being sarcastic here, just a reflection on a bus driver who actually enjoys his job, unlike the grouchy rude ones back home..

Cooked dinner just now - kurma chicken, asparagus + garlic shoot, briyani rice and roti canai :P Eventhough so busy these 2 days, felt like cooking properly. One can't live on instant noodles forever. And its quite nice to eat with other people (cos usually we all cook separately). Amber asked the first thing I intend to do when I get back. Me --- mamak!! er its realistic i think. Arriving at 8 plus, get out of airport at 9 plus, back home by 10 plus. So there's still time hahha..

So anyone up for mamak??

Apathy - plenty of it - in Malaysia

2005-10-31T14:45:00.000+11:00

Just finished my tax law exam. Stuck in the lab, waiting for 'em to fix up the printer for the SINGLE piece of A4 award submission I need to print. Ahghh just one page! cmon!!

In my one and half years here, I haven't even stepped inside this particular building in uni. Small campus, everyone sez, but its my ideal. Facilities here're open for longer hours than Clayton's, surprisingly..

Anyways, to my real post topic. Been blogsurfing/newssurfing when I get bored of studying in the late hours. What I've been seeing is how increasingly racist Malaysia is. So many things happen which make me go "wah-liau another S T U P I D / waste-of-taxpayers-hard-earned-money issue". No being diplomatic with words. We'd worry about people being inefficient and all. Thats all right, they can work harder. But in not thinking things through before its done/said, thats irritating me. Seems as if so many people are still stuck in their own little world of ignorance.

If I don't like something, I'll voice out about it. If others experience the same thing as me, being typically apathetic "i-don't-want-to-get-into-any-trouble" or "i-don't-want-to-care" dear fellow Malaysians, probably 8 out of 10 will not raise the issue. Instead they'll mumble and grumble under their breath and say "if only i get the chance, then i'll blahblahblah". But by not voicing out, does that mean they don't feel aggrieved? No.

The problem is with apathy of course. Plus the total lack of being able to have any sort of meaningful discussions without accusations of "it's a sensitive issue" or "we have to respect -- by not bringing up this issues, else it'll cause unstability".

As a result, the current generation of Malaysians have been brought up to "see no evil, hear no evil" so they "say no evil". We can close our eyes, shut our ears. But the world still continues spinning, and other people move forward. In the meantime, we (Msia) grapple with our skills in English, our problems of identity (or lack thereof), race issues etc. The current generation care little about policy/thoughts of those in-charge. Thats because everyone's too worried about the bread and butter issues - jobs/economy/whether they can afford to go shopping mall during weekends/yearly holidays. Sometimes its not as if they don't care. Its because people feel powerless to change others. Most people say - why bother? Others (the increasing majority these days) say - migrate.

Sometimes I wonder why I bother too.

when I hear of "funny" things uttered/done now, I just go "dah biasa la" (its the norm).. so unfortunate.

an early-morning post again..

2005-10-29T04:01:00.000+10:00

I can finally study for the exams.. particularly the one on Monday morning! What with all the liquidation, annual report and research for assignments, I've hardly had time to sit down and study properly. Sure, I could've done the assignments earlier, but before that, there were OTHER deadlines, which were more important. Time time time I need more of you!!

My housemates are dears, really. They've noticed my food consumption typically consists of noodles, coffee, tea, or takeaway food lately. Amusingly, some of 'em thought I wasn't even in the house during the week - proves how much I stay "hibernating" in my room being preoccupied with work. Hence yesterday two of them (non-Malaysians) made dinner (which included a really great Malaysian curry chicken!), and tonight I'm getting another meal.

damn bahagia :)

Too tired to take photos though. Haven't had much sleep over the week. Each night (and day, also) spent at my desk with the list of priorities in front of me, typically 15 hours a day if I don't step out of the house.

Surprisingly I don't get bored of my 12 hour long playlist on Media Player even though I've lost track of the times I've listened to it. Almost all are Chinese (Taiwanese) drama soundtracks, incl:
~爱情合约 (Love contract)
~战神 (Mars)
~真命天女 (Reaching for the Stars)
~恶男宅急电 (Express Boy)
~火线任务
~恶作剧之吻
~蔷薇之恋 (The Rose)

Eh I'm not watching all these dramas now, so don't nag. Although if you really want it, do let me know. I favour some of the soundtracks for particular reasons. Most contain some nice instrumental music, plus decent songs by not-so-mainstream artists, and even some really nice oldies..

Fate is a surprising thing sometimes. This week, of the times I've stepped out of the house, I've met this friend of mine each time (even met her yesterday in a relatively obscure location in Caulfield), which makes us think we're fated to meet. Its a comfortable feeling when you meet someone and just get along very well with him/her. Everything feels in sync, even though we don't share classes or anything. Very rare for me nowadays, as even close friends don't seem so "close" anymore.

I always speak of people moving on with their lives, as I grapple with the growing distances (and not only geographically, mind you). Its about time I moved on too..

An uncomfortable night.

2005-10-26T02:05:00.000+10:00

A slight bout of discomfort just now, experienced some shortness of breath. Immediately googled "asthma symptoms". ahh the wonders of technology. some warning signs present - dry throat, shortness of breath etc. A few puffs do the trick, for tonight at least.

Its been almost 10 years since my asthma last surfaced. Then, I thought it had gone away for good. Thank goodness my mother had the foresight to pack in an inhaler in my luggage when I returned to Melb this year. Came in very handy sometime in March/April when I got very sick in the middle of the night at the start of a weekend (when clinics are mostly closed). Then, I wasn't really sure whether it was asthma or not. Later only found out it was a mild-severe attack. It also mildly surfaced during last year's winter, and hence after some useful advice from a friend, I started wearing scarves more often this winter. And yeah its worked. Breathing cold air in is VERY VERY bad. Trust me on that.

But now, its spring and I wonder what's the trigger this time.
~Pollen? (shouldn't be, since I've been 'hibernating' at home, not much exposure to the outside).
~Cold air? (indeed its been cooler this week)
~Incopious amounts of coffee in my system?
~Stress?

Its a peculiar sensation. No wheezing but just tightness in chest and difficulty breathing in. So how do I describe this to the doc (if I see one?). Come to think of it, I won't be seeing one. Its too much trouble making an appointment to see the campus doctor, esp during exam period when they seem "particularly busy". Very amusing people they are, as I remember the last time I went to visit them, by the time of my appointment, my symptoms had already lessened.

Bah.. back to work.

stillSObusy*Di

2005-10-25T23:48:00.000+10:00

This week seems to be good to those seeking employment..

Congrats to MinHui for landing the Starbucks stint! amusingly my dear friend here doesn't drink coffee. Laugh away, if you will. hahhha

Also hearty congratulations to Peggy!!! She's just told me about clinching that job! Peggy's someone who happily shares about all the recent dramas she's catching - one of my drama "kaki", with promises to "keep" some for me when I return next year. Once again I shall await a nice meal/drinks on her, but I told her -- wait till I'm back. Shouldn't we all go greeeeeen with envy --- Peggy gets ONE MONTH's worth of annual leave, plus 14 days sick leave. Madness, utter madness. This's Australia, my dears.

On other things.. I haven't really been keeping track of dates. Days just pass by, for what I keep track of are simply deadlines. I had only ticked off dates on my desk's calendar till the 11th Oct. With a slight bout of panic (only slight), I realised today is the 25th!! OMG there's just not enough time for me at the moment.

I'm still doing up assignments, and getting my head muddled up. Its simple to write the essay, the problem is getting to all the background information. Else its just arguments without substance. And due to my insistence, perhaps stubbornly, on delivering "quality" work, I refuse to just make a hash of it all.

Also listening to Leo Ku's latest album "Star Track", current song is a... if I may so describe it as - bizarre-sounding "梦中人". Initially thought it was a cover of the Faye Wong song but I don't think it is (after listening to it distractedly once)..

Shall end this post with a random snapshot of Melbourne..

A wet evening, taken from across Flinders St station with my mobile.

Too serious for my own good

2005-10-23T19:26:00.000+10:00

Funny how I look at some things now. People's perception of me is usually this - serious/rational.

Now since when did I care what people thought of me? Nah I still don't. But I do care of my own friends' perceptions. Maybe its because of certain topics of discussion I delve into.

It certainly is very amusing talking to S.Ping on our changes in the past 2 years. The times when we've mutually supported each other, or when I've called just to hear a friendly voice, though she's way over the other side of the ocean. Certainly things have changed much in a little less than 2 years.

Now, when work piles up or something stuffs up, inevitably I look at the amusing side of events. Usually conversation starts with how much more work I still have, and I get abit hyper and in the end I just go "ahhh things aren't so bad". voila!

The mind is indeed a powerful thing.

Now, about being serious and all. Just last weekday, a friend got a taste of my unusual "un"seriousness. As a result, our dear friend now not only has to belanja nice dinner, but also now owes me a yet-to-be-decided present! Unfortunately that'll all have to wait till I get back next month. Hmm maybe I should do this more often. This's fun!

The not-so-fun bit -- I'm still buried under a ton of work. Acutely sleep deprived over the past few days, with accompanying bleak weather to teman me throughout the long days and nights. Forecast is rain rain rain rain rain all the way to goodness knows when. To top it off, my eyelids are shutting down on me. Great. Cue for a walk-about and a twirl in the room to 老情人...

Going back soon.. work next year?

2005-10-21T19:50:00.000+10:00

No blog posts yesterday in memory of the passing of Datin Paduka Seri Endon Mahmood, wife of the Prime Minister of Malaysia. My sincere condolences to PM Badawi and his family.

Reports of sombre weather in KL yesterday reflects the kind of weather we had in Melbourne. The forecast for the weekend all the way to Tuesday is "thunderstorms/showers". Not very conducive weather for studying/doing assignments. But I welcome the cooler temperatures, and realise I'll miss the cool weather when I'm back in sweltering KL.

Going back home for the hols in a few weeks time, if all goes to plan. And will be looking for a job for duration of the 3 month break. But before that, I need to "fix" my resume up. I've got a CV and resume already, but getting some professional assistance will be extra help. Still thinking whether to apply for internships or a full time temporary job..

Been thinking about working life after graduation next June, and talking about it with different people. Gita has just decided to transfer her degree to part-time study as she wants to return to full time work. Very interesting each week when we meet, as she shares with me some of her experiences in Slovakia, London, Europe and also here. We talk alot about culture, expectations of life and more. How nice it is to have sorted out what you really want, and to have the freedom and ability to "just do it". I have sorted out what I want, but with limited resources, sometimes its not possible to carry some things out.

The important question - to work in Australia, Malaysia or another country after graduation next year, is one of my main considerations. Different people have been encouraging me to stay and work. Not that I seriously lack confidence, but as international students, we are hampered by the way things work here.

Abit of explanation is useful in explaining my conundrum. Most Aussie firms hire graduates about a year before they graduate. Meaning career fairs and interviews are mostly in March-May each year, with positions filled for the following year. This way, alotof people would have secured their positions before they officially graduate. Being an international student, I'm not eligible to apply until I get my permanent residency. But I can't apply for PR till after graduation. Meaning most of the positions'd have been filled up by then. Hence the usually lengthy job search process I see some of my friends go through.

With regards to whether my personality is suited to the working environment here or in any other country? I reckon its not much of a worry for me. Before coming to Melb, I might not have known whether I can hold my own against other students (international and Australian). But especially after this year, I can confidently say - no problems.. My ego's not over-inflated la, but it is indeed nice to do well in certain things I care about, both academically and in other aspects.

Some healthy self-confidence never hurts!

And now, its back to my work.. exams begin next week, though my papers begin only on the 31st. Haven't been able to stick to my mantra of "play hard work hard" cos its been more work than play for Di...

Dawn / China&Australia&Malaysia

2005-10-19T05:23:00.000+10:00

Dawn is breaking as I type this post. Yet another struggle to get through the day. People think I get through the day without sleep easily. True, most times I do, but not each time. I don't depend on coffee to stay awake. Most times its simply because I have to, hence I stay up the whole night.

Does that mean I'm inefficient? Maybe, to an extent. I'm a night person and somehow always feel sluggish in the mornings. I definitely get more work done at night, when concentration levels are higher, with only the quiet night (cept for highway traffic that is) to keep me company. But when I work of course I revert to normal hours. I remember last year when I worked 8.30am-5.30pm on weekdays at Uptown. No problems reverting, but with regular yamcha sessions, the only thing which suffered was a slight lack of sleeping hours.

Talking about being efficient and all, I think about globalisation. And when we think about globalisation, I think about Malaysia, Australia and China. 3 countries which I'm closely connected to. Msia - where I'm born & where I grow up. Aus - where I am now. China - where my cultural roots are from, and which everyone is so very interested in right now.

China is a hot topic. In uni this semester, we've mentioned China so many times. I've read about the "rise of China" from different perspectives (economic, military etc). Its such a major issue for the Western world, now whenever I read news online, there's always a "China" issue. Coupla days ago, it was worries about China wishing to mine uranium in Australia (which holds 40% of world reserves). Implications and whether they'd be subjected to extra scrutiny, plus the concern that they'd abide by the agreement to not use uranium mined in Australia for weapon development purposes, BUT then that would leave their local uranium resources available for that purpose.

2 days ago, Monash uni was in the news, article about how they're networking and establishing contacts with Chinese universities. Read in somebody's blogpost that Monash is a mere middle tier uni (global ranking somewhere in the 200-300 quoting donno which survey), but I really think my uni's better than that. At least they have the foresight to look forward into the future. Besides attracting foreign students to Australia (trend is downwards actually) which they know can't continue inevitably, they're establishing research collaborations etc.

And today -- suddenly so many articles on China in the Age online. FTA between Australia and China - some concerns, an article describing China as "awakening giant", article on connecting with culture, emerging China's influence in East Asia..

All these includes issues previously discussed in INT: intellectual property rights, culture and way of doing business, competition for influence between the US and China in South East Asia / East Asia as a whole, issues of quality control, lack of resources as a limiting factor to China's growth. They're all thinking about how to deal with an emerging China/India, how to ensure domestic interests are protected..

And where does Malaysia fit in?

We're growing economically, thats a definite. But I keep looking at us as being left behind, while everyone's moving forward in the globalised era. Thats the reason why I blog less about situations in Malaysia (politics/social). Look at whats been the big issues these 2 years. Listen to what the people-in-charge have to say? Has anything been resolved? Are the really important measures prioritised? Issues such as economic measures in the face of the 2 rising Asian giants (China and India)?

Some of the issues I read about just make me go "???". AP is neverending issue, PM Badawi seems so quiet, don't really hear him speaking out about the country's direction (at least not while I'm here la), NEP concerns, "hugging in public", keris-waving actions etc.. other issues are trivial and meaningless. Hardly expected from any "thriving democratic country".

Why can't we focus on the issues that really matter? Bread and butter issues, corruption, inequality issues, corporate governance, transparency, social indicators of growth, public safety (robberies & rampant snatch thefts are too common to be on the news these days).. With GST set to be implemented in 2007, are we going to be prepared? Then, everything's gonna cost another 5%. Costs of living already high enough as it is.

Have we moved forward in recent years? Economically, yes. Socially -- No. Common courtesy is still sorely lacking. Public apathy is healthy and alive. One important issue for rakyat -- their security when walking on the street. That's definitely deteriorated. Is the poor still poor? Yes. Does the public care about general cleanliness (on the streets etc) - no. Am I still very extremely careful with my bags and wallet when I'm in PJ/KL - yes.

So many ppl I talk to these days can't be bothered about all these issues. Sometimes I think maybe I should too. But thats if we ignore globalisation's influence on our environment. Continued apathy will mean we're living in our own little world of self-denial, while the world continues to move forward.

To gain or lose from globalisation? You decide.

Ending, everything ending soon...

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

*Yesterday was Desiyah's final meeting. Yupp its finally (sortof) ended. We're in the process of liquidation, but we're not going to have anymore formal meetings. So now its all finance stuff to settle. Sales have (almost) officially ended, and the rest are free to focus on their exams. Except me that is, unfortunately... Annual report's not completed yet, even awards submissions aren't done, but the rest of 'em all seem so relieved just to get through the program. Seems that they're all not bothered bout awards submission. Imo its the final and vital parts of the program. What a shame if we choose to just throw in the towel now.. Even the final meeting didn't really feel like a final meeting. A significant number of absentees, and everyone just eager to leave.

*I've got my own time constraints though. Didn't realise till today that tax law is my first paper. Mistakenly thought it was on the 4th Nov, and when K.L. mentioned it today, I could only go "ohhhh". And that makes things very interesting indeed..cos now the paper's in a week plus, and in between there's still alot to be done..

*Still owing Tony 2 assignments, this week and next.. During the quiz yesterday, he announced the tutes were all cancelled, to give him more time to mark our stuff. Very efficient he is, cos less than 24 hours after the quiz, we've gotten individual emails on our quiz scores. Went very well, and I'm really going to miss this unit. First time I've really felt I'm actually even getting an education in university (Business courses eg accounting, tends to do this to you -- don't really require thinking skills). Sighh.. now I have to think of what elective to take next sem, preferably another International Studies unit, since its started to make me think more, and enjoy uni alot more.. Amusingly I might even end up taking all my units on Clayton campus next year..

*Listening to alot of chinese OST these days, old ones and new ones.. Found out who sang the song "老情人". Previously thought it was someone else, but its 欧阳霏霏. Last weekend when electricity was cut at home, in the middle of the night at 1plus, it was soooo nice just leaving the music playing in my (dark) room -- comp on battery la. This's where my HUGE room window comes in handy, with just enough lighting from the outside to create the right atmosphere.

*Over the weekend, someone asked me a very interesting question. An off the cuff spontaneous question, but something I've never seriously thought about. Maybe its true, when they say 当局者迷.. Give me some time to think about it okay?...

Thursday..

2005-10-15T18:32:00.001+10:00

Dragged myself off to lecture at 7 plus in the morning. Couldn't help but nod off during the long lecture on paradigms, philosophical choices (in accounting theory) and the various approaches to accounting theory. Fortunately this was the last lecture on acc theory, with only the exam briefing next week. After tute at 12pm, realised my blurness -- left my wallet at home (seriously this's the 4th time or so this year!) and so had to waste more time going home to retrieve it, in case I needed my ID for the presentation.

Now that its all over, I can talk abit about the presentation. Basically I was shortlisted for the YAA Business Person of the Year. Given a choice of 3 topics, we were to present in front of a panel of 3 judges. Had no idea who the judges were going to be. Due to so many other commitments in uni etc, hadn't really had time to prepare for the presentation.

Judging was at Powercor building in the city. Reached there at abt 2pm, and was thinking in my head "wa..everything looks so formal." The 3 judges were Sophie Morrell, someone from Powercor and another gentleman (Craig Roberts?) from Business Review Weekly. Initially thought I was going to be nervous and all, but it went really well. Perhaps unexpected, as my preparations seemed inadequate if compared to some others. After the almost half hour presentation and Q&A session, I left the Powercor building thinking "oh well it wasn't so bad"
:)

Results will be announced at the Awards Dinner on 11th November. Winner of State (Vic) will go on to compete nationally with other reps in Sydney at the end of November. And no, I don't expect anything (especially since my flight is booked and tickets obtained for SnowWolfLake in KL for end of Nov!!). Being shortlisted is already a plus, imho.

The long day hadn't ended though, I had an appointment to see Dot (lecturer) at 5pm. Hence it was rush-rush-rush back to uni. Talked to her >40 minutes and went through my mid sem paper with her. This's the KILLER subject in Accounting. The only consolation when looking thru my mid sem paper was all the XXXs came together, mainly in Derivatives and Foreign Exchange Translation/Transaction. Some were just plain silly mistakes..sigh.. I do not wish to fail this paper (again!). Will bury myself in this unit for the exams, that is, only after I finish up all the INT work (2 more assignments and a quiz)...

In the afternoon, KarLeng suddenly called and said she was coming over to cook dinner for us (MunYee and me). Damn bahagia, especially since I was sleep-deprived and had no mood to cook. Simple dinner, with fried bee-hoon, seaweed+egg soup and some coffee and port wine to finish with.

Wish we had more times like this in Melbourne. Almost everyone I know is caught up in their own things..hence the growing distance. Takkan I say "ey we should get together more"..don't feel comfortable saying that. Hence just enjoying times like these..

Even the carrots had to be cut into nice "flowery" shapes..

KarLeng at work

lookey -- biggg wok of bee-hoon

(l-r) MunYee, Min and Amber

Darling housemates -- Amber's from China, Min from Dae-gu.

Going to take elementary language lessons from Min. Actually I'm doing self-study, but its always better to ensure I'm on the right path (ie pronounciations) with a native speaker. Some language books aren't exactly up to date, confusing me even more..Amber's a dear, always giving me goodies, plus she's a great cook! She passed me some "weird-flavoured" tea to try -- watermelon, and vanilla flavoured green tea. Lipton's getting increasingly weird huh??

So this was my long long day. At night, lazy me didn't have to move a finger and became a mere spectator while the cooking was done. Glorious end to a good day! Even though it was tiring, managed to get everything scheduled done, wasn't late for anything, presentation went well, even the weather was fantastic (though the Age forecasted showers, they got it wrong!).

Everything went well, except for the fact my phone got flipped in the air and went "boink" when it hit the floor. Yes, the Motorola e1000. "Ouch" I went...

Wild flowers..on the way to Carnegie

2005-10-15T18:08:00.000+10:00

In spring, there's an abundance of pretty lil' yellow flowers by the walkpath. No idea why most of it's yellow, though there are patches of white and purple ones someplaces..

A sea of flowers.. reminds me of Kerteh, Terengganu 2 years ago.. Kerteh's vast field of wild flowers, and much prettier in warmer sunlight. The photos in this post were taken around noon, sunlight was much harsher.What Australia has alot of -- clear blue skies..

Our purpose of walking to Carnegie -- Kimchi Grandma!! I love Korean food :) mwahhhhh gonna miss it when I go back..

2005-10-13T04:04:00.000+10:00

bpum-ta-di-b-dam..blogging at 4am again!

llllooong day tomorrow, lecture starts at 8am Thursdays (yes I know its an impossible hour) and thats why I'm still up. No point getting that short few hours of sleep me thinks.

Presentation in the afternoon, and I haven't(or rather didn't) prepared anything. I figure its all about my experience so far in the YAA program, and there isn't much I can prepare for.. lets just hope it goes well. Only a few more hours to 2.30pm!

Had a long happy chat with Min in the pantry just now. I'm going to take lessons from her in making Korean side dishes. Apparently its very simple. Plus we're going to go buy ingredients for making some soup (need to boil damn longggg type of soup). And I'm craving for some Korean food - which means a visit to "our local-friendly-Korean-restaurant-in-the-neigbouring-suburb" soon.

It isn't even 4.30am yet and already the birds are chirping (very noisy fellas they are) outside. Dawn in a little more than an hour, which means the days are getting longer in Melbourne. Weather today..oh dear.. showers and possible thunderstorm. Sigh..don't like getting caught in the rain. Not when I'm wearing formal-wear.

tdam-dy-da-dum. Nice people have been giving me goodies lately. My stash now extended to some honey-green-tea, Shin noodles from Korea (apparently it tastes different from those sold here) etc etc.... bahagia-nya..a "kamsa-hamnida" (thanks!) to all of you ppl..

Weekend..

2005-10-09T05:13:00.000+10:00

Yesterday -- my sole rest day this semester. Woke up at 9plus and had a nice breakfast at Degraves St, then we made our way to Queen Vic Market. By mid afternoon I was back home. There's no official deadlines next week, but still alot of things are happening. The MPC's AGM is coming up. Just wondering how many people are going to show up?? Will the lure of free food + tab at the Gryph Inn (the bar on campus) be enough to tempt members??

Had another meeting with the guys on Fri night. Alot of unknowns for next year, and with the founding members and almost all the ex-committee members leaving soon, next year there's gonna be a total lack of experiences to call on. Haven't decided whether I want to involve myself with the club next year or not.. since I'll be spending half my uni time in Clayton and half on my home campus (hopefully)..

Been raining on and off over the weekend and unfortunately dodgy weather looks set to continue today. sigh.. spring is like this in Melbourne. Hot cold hot cold hot cold. Now's back to wet and cold weather.. I reckon this type of weather slows my mind a 'lil. Just completed some of my filing and realised the HUGE stack of uni stuff I have to get through for exams at the end of this month -- a coupla weeks away only, in fact. Sigh seems like I need to further cut down my sleeping hours. At late nights like this, the only thing keeping me entertained is the glut of new chinese albums recently released (Stephanie Sun/LiangJingRu/ChenQiZhen/NanQuanMaMa/ZChen/Rainie/WillPan...)

Right now, I need some sleep. SiewWeng's birthday coming soon so meeting up in the morning for brunch (?), church in the afternoon.. then...back to wooooork.

梁静茹 “丝路”

2005-10-06T23:57:00.000+10:00

One of my fave songs now: from Fish Leong's latest album "Silk road" (?).. my mandarin is improving, hence the (current) attentiveness to lyrics..

专辑：丝路
词：王力宏
曲：阿信（五月天)

如果流浪是你的天赋
那么你一定是我最美的追逐
如果爱情是你的游牧
拥有过是不是该满足
谁带我踏上孤独的丝路
追逐你的脚步
谁带我离开孤独的丝路
感受你的温度
我将眼泪流成天山上面的湖
让你疲倦时能够扎营停驻
羌笛声胡旋舞为你笑为你哭
爱上你的全部放弃我的全部
爱上了你之后我开始领悟
陪你走了一段最唯美的国度
爱上了你之后我从来不哭
谁是谁的幸福
我从来不在乎
谁是谁的旅途
我只要你记住

星星就是穷人的珍珠
你的笑支撑着我虔诚的最初
狂风沙是我单薄衣服
穿越过亚细亚的迷雾
羌笛声胡旋舞为你笑为你哭(ho~为你哭)
hey爱上你的全部放弃我的全部(我的全部)

云破日出
你是那道光束
带着平凡的我走过奇迹旅途
爱上了你之后我从来不哭(no~oh~)
我从来不在乎(我不在乎)
谁是谁旅途
我只要
你记住

My back is killing me.. / rant rant rant

2005-10-05T04:12:00.000+10:00

When your chair is...

^designed with ergonomics in mind... you go "aahhhh" when you sink into it.
^designed 90 degrees w/out anysort of proper support for the back... you go "aaRRghhhh" after a straight 10 hours sitting on it.

...which is what I'm currently experiencing. Gawd what would I give for my comfy "executive" chair back home. The nice big cushiony comes-with-arm-rests-and-high-back chair.

Think also make me bengang..my back seriously is killing me.

And what is it with emails late at night?? Lately have been getting flurries of emails at late hours. Its depressing enough when I'm already lagging behind on my work. Next thing I have to deal with are the emails informing/requesting/blabla/important things. I'm a night-person, yes, but that doesn't mean my mood's perfect at this kind of odd hour. Send during the day la! and give me some time to think about things..

I'm blogging at 4am again. PPS is down (at least it was, when i last checked a coupla hours ago). Nowadays PPS doesn't interest me so much. Maybe its due to the same people (bloggers) who ping PPS SO SO SO often. In a day's worth of pings, the same blogger may ping PPS >4 times. Helllooo if your intention was to increase your blog traffic, its having the exact opposite effect (at least on me). If anything, it deters me from visiting their blog. Seems to me they don't have a life outside their blogs, which makes just about anything they write un-interesting as a result. Get quite bored of looking at the same names over and over and over again.

END of rant-rant-rant

^On something peculiar. For the past 2 nights when I dozed off, have dreamt about the same *person* on both occasions. So very weird. First occasion involved a case of "..passport-airport-sending me to airport..". Second occasion involved a case of "..fire-escape-relief-arms..", Both times involved a sense of urgency and of relief afterwards. They say dreams reflect our subconsciousness. Premonition of things to come?

^Seriously cannot read anymore. Some fonts on my readings're really tiny. spoiling my eyes saja, reading in this bad light. Going to ZZZzz for awhile now. Have a set of pretty in-heart-shape lights in my room now, post a pic soon..

p/s:
*你的关心, 谢了! 你那四年的大学都过了，祝你一帆风顺.. 我会记得加油!（习惯迟睡了，所以你就别再念了啦）(^_^)"

i need some colour..

2005-10-03T23:55:00.000+10:00

..in my life.

Another long Monday today, with the board meeting in Sigma's HQ after classes today. Unfortunate souls we were today, with a train accident at the Pakenham/Cranbourne line just before 5pm. By the peak hour of 5 plus, things were still rather confusing at the station. Trains were supposed to run up to Oakleigh, with alternative transport arranged. But of course they never turn out as planned. To cut the long story short, we were late for the meeting by more than a half hour.

Meetings for Desiyah nowadays are simple matters, since we're eyeing liquidation very soon. It seems just a short while ago that we've started this program. Now that its about to end, I have this feeling I'm going to miss it next year. Meeting a group of people every week (sometimes more), deciding/planning/doing things with them.. quite memorable. The bad times we had, also the good times. Times when I really felt like quitting, and even lately when I'm seriously overwhelmed by all the work. But definitely no regrets joining this program.

This semester's probably spent most efficiently, for I've "learnt" more in one semester than I did in all my years in uni/college. Not really talking about Desiyah, more on uni. Usually we (international students) don't question anything, or form thoughts about issues. With INT, although its only been a few months, its piqued my interest in international studies. For the first time, I'm thinking of furthering studies beyond accounting.. but thats not realistically achievable in the near future (think the next 3-5 years) due to financial considerations.

anyways thats wayy in the future. too early to consider now.

988 FM is playing this promo for Jacky Cheung's Snow Wolf Lake again. Ahhhah have confirmed that I've got tickets for the show! but seating's only so-so. Sigh pay so much but sooo far away. Must remember to bring binoculars :)

Drama*update - 恶男宅急电 (Taiwan) + Shower (S.K.)
(p/s - 尉，你要的话就call ok?)

2005-10-01T03:49:00.000+10:00

烦烦烦超烦吖
工作又多
时间又少

case又不明白
后天又要交作业
整个礼拜的假期
假期又不像假期
把头埋在书堆里
还有一大堆堆在眼前

我也是的，竟然在深夜里听歌听着听着
哦
是蔡琴的一首歌，歌名应该是“老情人”
歌词没注意，听歌向来听曲不太认词
她这首也是从一个最新的台湾OST里头的
（不然我干吗突然跑去听她的歌？）
满复古的曲风，适合在下雨天听
虽然我这儿现在没下雨，可是也满适合这时间

一些有的没的竟把我弄烦。真想不到。

package/timeline/yet-another-book-finished

2005-09-28T23:34:00.000+10:00

my package FINALLY arrived!

thanks and *hugs*

It was mistakenly sent by sea-mail (stop laughing!) and I almost gave up hope of it arriving before I returned home for the hols. Yes, it was that late.

The reason why I was eagerly awaiting it was for this item -

a precious pack of ---- Ipoh Old Town white coffee :)

ey I'm quite particular about my coffee. Its either this brand or Chek Hup (preferably), but other brands taste different. Previously when K.L. tried bringing in a pack for me in July, it was barred at Customs. Thing is, they allow AikCheong/SuperBrand/Nescafe/Nestum to export to Australia, with just about the same ingredients but they don't let people bring this in. Case of double standards.

Today's photography club meeting was a lengthy affair. It ran on from 11am till almost 3pm, about 2 hours over schedule. Simply because there was so much to discuss and so much to reflect on. To sum it up, the club's in a mess this year. Those of us "outsiders" (who're either ex-committee or non-committee) came together to discuss plans for next year. Instead of dwelling on a bad year, we hope next year things are improved on. And that leaves us with the issue of continuity since most of them are graduating and hence leaving...

Over the late lunch, some of us discussed abit more, on the club and on other things. Yeah when I think about it, I do like Caulfield campus. Although smaller than Clayton, we're alot more international. Eg at lunch today, all 5 of us came from different backgrounds..

Great to gain abit of insight and learn from others about how they think organisations or clubs work. Often, people simply refuse to acknowledge mistakes or inadequacies for fear of appearing weak. But its only when we tackle things head on and take the time to step back and listen to others' opinions, that we can improve and make positive changes.

Have got THREE separate timelines these few weeks, dealing with separate things. Extra things to complete tonight, making me doubt whether I can get any sleep later.

Updated timeline:

Sept 30 - MPC draft of recruitment criteria + overall reflections on the year (positives/negatives)
Oct 3 - Desiyah board meeting + report draft due + BTF3931 assignment DUE
Oct 7 - MPC meeting with potential candidates + briefing
Oct 10 - liquidate (?)
Oct 13 - BPOY Presentation in City
Oct 14 - MPC AGM
Oct 17 - INT Quiz + Report(s) submission
Oct 21 - INT Report 2
Oct 28 - INT Report 3 40%

Fortunately I like what I'm currently doing. Yes, all of it. Although it makes life harried sometimes..

* The amount of reading I've been doing this half-year seems crazy. As if I'm trying to make up for lost time over the past 2 'n half years. Just finished another book, this time its just Harry Potter, not anything serious. The thick tome is quite disappointing. Some parts are just so draggy/meaningless. She could've removed at least 30 pages and it wouldn't have affected the storyline. Now resuming on another book on the UN and changing world politics. The content's very interesting, but really the font is sooooo small I have to strain my eyes to read properly. So it takes alot more time to digest lar..

* I need a longer hols!!! was just ranting to a friend on MSN -- "people got hols I got hols but my hols not like hols". Weather fine/not-so-fine = I stay home and try to get some work done. Was up till 4+am yesterday trying to readup tax law. It is so not-fun I kid you not. Cos I still don't get what he wants.

Cleanup-beach photos

2005-09-27T22:30:00.000+10:00

Sandringham beach, 10am Sunday

Bright and sunny day - perfect weather

somehow was fixated with this stairs along the beach

l-r MunYee Laura Shaz Julianne & Di

being wary of rats..

the end of the day

random shots::

plasticky-looking flowers which interested me. never growing in clusters, they're all single blooms

i believe i can fly..?

I did a count

2005-09-25T23:45:00.000+10:00

...
8
11
15
equals 34.

Thats the number of train stations I travelled throught today -- ONE way. Double that for the amount of time I've spent travelling on the Met this glorious Sunday.

Stop 1 on the bright and sunny Sunday - Sandringham. As part of Desiyah's commitment to supporting environmental sustainability, we headed to Sandringham beach for some clean-up activities. Minus the guys, that is. Since all the guys were MIA and left the girls with only some rats to keep us company. Yes thats right - rats. Apparently its a known fact that there's rats around the pathway + bushes. So be warned - the rats are mostly at the walkpath area and not the beach down there.

We saw 3 rats in a space of less than 2 hours. O M I G O D. yuck. Made my skin tingle. The lengths we go to, for the program hahha.. could include that in our submission for year-end. Unfortunately no pics of the gray-brown rats.

Photos will be up soon. Took the opportunity to take some shots. Sandringham's a really nice beach. Being abit jakun and anti-social lately, haven't been roaming around Melb as much as I'd like to.

Having a raging headache now. Its the hols but I still don't have time to sleep. &$@%$% tomorrow morning heading to uni. Then hopefully go salon for a haircut (seriously haven't had time to go for one recently), then if there's time, pop by the NGV Intl. Then meeting in Clayton as usual. Or maybe I should just come back and get some sleep before the meeting?

aahh decide tomorrow le. Tonight staying up again doing some work..

before I end:
Recommended book/reading for the day is "Double Vision: Asian Accounts of Australia", edited by Alison Broinowski 2004. refer PandanusBooks for more info.

Basically its a collection of short essays on how Australia's perceived by people from the Asian region. I managed to finish the entire book while travelling on the Met today (waiting/on train) so it's considered "light" reading material. Only 161 pages, it provides a glimpse into how Aus is viewed by Asians. But the main limitation is that essays don't come from all over the Asian region. There's nothing substantial from South-East Asia for instance. But otherwise it provides a sufficient intro to raise the reader's interest.

Was most interested in this essay "Haigui: A Keyword for 2003" by Ouyang Yu. "Haigui" is a new Chinese word combination that means a return to China from overseas. Previously I've heard some talk on this new "word". Interestingly Ouyang Yu further explores "banhaigui" (half-hai gui) meaning people who shuttle between China and another country, or people who have dual citizenship / PR. He also talks about "buhaigui" phenomenon meaning refusing to return to China. To know more bout what he observed, read the book!

988FM & Emil Chau / H O L I D A Y S

2005-09-24T16:49:00.000+10:00

It was yesterday afternoon, and as usual the e-radio's on while I did my work. Radio station's 988 FM (Malaysian chinese radio). I turned up the volume when I heard some jolly laughter, which sounded vaguely familiar. Indeed, it was Emil Chau on air with the DJ.

The mood was happily infectious, as they went through the hour's plan of calling a guy to allow his girlfriend to propose on-air. To those familiar with Emil Chau, he has this song which goes something like "明天请你嫁给我" (will you marry me...). At first the guy was abit sceptical whether it was 988 & Emil or someone pranking him. After Emil sang a few lines he was convinced. And yes, he accepted the proposal. So nice right? to have EmilChau becoming the witness (证婚人）, at least for the proposal, if not the ceremony.

^For once I have no plans for the hols. Not going anywhere, 乖乖的留在(staying in) Melbourne.

Reasons being:
1. uni workload - massive. To say there's a backlog seems such an understatement.
2. have explored Victoria enough over the past year.
3. Money, or rather the lack of (since I spent so much in June/July for Sydney etc)

But that doesn't mean I'm impartial to some coffee in the city/suburbs, or any day outings. Particularly interested to take some time off for a spate of photography, if the weather allows it. Its really been ages since I've taken snapshots for things other than events. Anyone with any ideas, u know who to call.

^ Still trying to catch up with uni work and therefore staying at home during the weekends. Tomorrow morning till mid-afternoon members of Desiyah will be at the Sandringham beach doing a clean-up as part of our environmental commitment to each T-Bag (our product) sold. We look set to be there till at least 2 pm. Hope weather doesn't turn "funny" on us..as in 10 minutes sunny, 15 minutes rain, 10 minutes sunny, 10 minutes rain (you get what I mean).

^ Just got the details for an additional commitment next month -- have to prepare a short presentation in mid-October. Powerpoint etc's prohibited hence its more a preparation of speaking skills, and of thinking on my feet. After the presentation, there'll be a further Q&A by the judges, estimated to be 10 minutes. The funny thing, as I mentioned in the previous post, is that results won't be announced till sometime in Nov, and I have plans to leave right after the announcement, the day after in fact. So if anything extraordinary happens, it'll stuff up my flight plans. But I'm pretty sure nothing extraordinary would happen, so not changing my plans.

^ Been watching 妙手人心3 (Healing Hands 3) --a Hong Kong TVB drama during my free time. This time they've retained part of the cast (Bowie Lam, Lawrence Ng Kai Wah, Moses Chan, Maggie Siu) and added new faces (Gigi Lai, Melissa Ng, Bernice Liu). Total of 40 episodes. Story can be abit draggy at times (this's tvb after all). The humorous Dr Lai (Bowie Lam) is still there. He's one of my fave characters cos of his personality - dry humour + intelligent. But my more 喜欢 characters have gone -- Annie (Flora Chan) and Jackie (Ada Choi). The new cast is alright and the series this time covers different scenarios. Overall its watchable, but I prefer part one.

gtg, back to my IB readings. This week full of FDI, exporting, strategies, entry modes, globalisation, more globalisation.

Next week will catch up with Tax Law, anti-globalisation movement and Advanced Fin Acc Theory and Practice. AND NGV Intl's Dutch Masters exhibition AND 2 meetings, or 3?? also, catch up on some much needed sleep, if possible.

oh what a wonderful week ahead.

rain rain go away

2005-09-22T22:35:00.000+10:00

Kebelakangan ini sering berlaku kejadian "kehujanan" yang tidak terhenti-henti di Melb. Mula-mulanya bosan dengan cuaca begini, sehingga saya memikirkan keadaan di Kuala Lumpur - lagi "worse" kerana KL hujan lebat hingga tak boleh tengok Astro, tak boleh keluar, jikalau keluar pun akan "stuck" dalam trafik yang jam gila, buat apa pun tak boleh. Okei (substitute for "okay") jika memikirkan keadaan di KL, cuaca di sini tidak begini teruk.

O M G my BM is so bad. Been years since I've conversed or tried typing in BM. Have to think awhile before forming sentences. 12 years of BM education gone down the drain.

Still as busy as ever here. Last week had some not-so-happy news. This week has turned up some surprises.

(i) don't want to elaborate much since its not really significant. But the irony is I'm already set on going home at XX November. And unless something extraordinary happens, thats the plan.

(ii) heard my grandma's illness was wrongly diagnosed by the small-town doctor. O M G i was amazed at how wrong they could get. Imagine telling someone they only have months to live and 2 years later, the person's told it was wrongly diagnosed. I mean sick is sick la, but not THAT major.

Had a nice conversation with Gita today after class. She's Slovakian, married an Aussie and now my tute mate =) We were talking abit about what people make of their life. Choices in abundance, but not everyone wants more out of life. Some are comfortable with what they have, too comfortable in fact.. reminder to self -- never ever think that way. else life'll just be stagnanted.

Simply put -- life's short. Do what you like.

*passed by the Natl Gallery of Victoria (International). they've got the "Dutch Masters" exhibition on till the 2nd October. Melburnians, grab the chance to see some great works! I'll prob be going next week, one of the weekdays. Had a memorable "experience" with the "Impressionists" exhibition last year when I went on the last weekend and the crowd was massive. Lucky me got in early and evaded most of 'em. So this year not leaving it to the last weekend ;P

**got hold of this book Chris Weston's "The Essential Wildlife Photography Manual". Haven't finished it yet but he's giving me great reasons to pack my bag and roam the er.. Royal Botanic Gardens in search of some (sic) wildlife.. no fancy cheetahs or elephants there but I figure at least some swans/ducks??

Mid sem break next week! (going only if I can finish up the readings and assignments and reports and other work).. which may mean a disappointing no.. and there's always the roll of slide film Michelle gave me. Aww I wonder if I might end up taking it back to Msia in Nov. Been a coupla months since I last took the baby (my camera la) out for rayau-rayau..

irony / lyrics / being Asian

2005-09-20T01:15:00.000+10:00

So ironic. Less than an hour after I posted my last post, 3 people from Desiyah chose to quit the group, reason given being that of workload. Such a waste, since we're only a few weeks away from liquidation. But its their decision and I respect it.

Talked to CL for awhile yesterday and feel much better after that. He's more experienced and I feel, more adapt at handling things than me. Its nice to have an old buddy I can count on at times like this! Thanks ya ;)

Lately been listening to this song - 孤单北半球林依晨. Used to hear it all the time but never realised who sang this. OMG now I now. Hahha AK I finally stop going "weyy who sang this song??" in front of you. You must be tired of me asking and asking for the umpteenth time this year plus..

用你的早安陪我吃晚餐
记得把想念存进扑满
我望着满天星在闪
听牛郎对织女说要勇敢
不怕我们在地球的两端
看你的问候骑着魔毯
飞用光速飞到我面前
你让我看到北极星有十字星作伴
少了你的手臂当枕头
我还不习惯
你的望远镜望不到
我北半球的孤单
太平洋的潮水跟着地球来回旋转
我会耐心的等
等你有一天靠岸
少了你的怀抱当暖炉
我还不习惯
e给你照片看不到
我北半球的孤单
世界再大两颗真心就能互相取暖
想念不会偷懒
我的梦通通给你保管
不怕我们在地球的两端
看你的问候骑着魔毯
飞用光速飞到我面前
你让我看到北极星有十字星作伴

少了你的手臂当枕头
我还不习惯
你的望远镜望不到
我北半球的孤单
太平洋的潮水跟着地球来回旋转
我会耐心的等
随时等你靠岸
少了你的怀抱当暖炉
我还不习惯
e给你照片看不到
我北半球的孤单
世界再大两颗真心就能互相取暖
想念不会偷懒
我的梦通通给你保管

And yes, for those who don't really know me, I'm quite "Asian". It was something discussed with a friend in the past weeks. Discussion in uni today was on ideologies. The future of ideologies, whether attainment of global civil society is possible? What of culture? Are people willing to let go and converge? Highly unlikely I think. It is possible to have global civil society without equality, some of them concluded. As for me, I just think -- global civil society seems an impossibility, as least on our country's part whilst the petty bickering continues amongst the politicians back home.

With never ending sagas over issues that mean nothing to the rakyat, the really important issues are brushed aside. Most countries are thinking/implementing ways to remain competitive in the era of globalisation, lest be left behind.. Our local politicians seem too caught up in their own petty interests. Hardly anyone notable coming out to say - what of our economic policies? what of future development strategies. How're we going to compete with the rest of the world in the immediate future? We speak of the emergence of China, don't forget India. With these 2 behemoths breathing down our necks, its likely to be us that suffer if lacksaidal attitudes continue.

Eerr got abit distracted. Back to me being "Asian". When I say "Asian" I mean it from all aspects. Immersed in Asian culture/entertainment/music/food, interested in Asian economies/politics and generally the region as a whole - a focus in my readings. Not a big fan of "western culture" hence you won't really catch me blogging about the latest tv shows ala the apprentice etc.

Europe, especially the emerging markets of Eastern Europe seems interesting, but just "feels" too far away and too foreign. Have no knowledge of their culture at all and there's no base to begin with. Asia, although large, seems more familiar territory. I must add though, that TV programs during our growing-up years are largely responsible for "us" knowing more about "them" than the other way round. Zoe found it quite funny that I'd actually know some of the HK places she was talking about. I told her - "Thank TVB" =)

tiredDi

2005-09-19T01:05:00.000+10:00

So many things to do I don't even know where to begin. Could've been notified about some things earlier, but was not. Nobody seems to know whats going on. Decisions made aren't followed through. Promises not kept. Everyone's getting disillusioned, including me. But something in me still goes -- I'm not a quitter. I hope the rest aren't too.

Slept half the weekend away bcos the changing weather's made me sick. Have heard alot about aspirin/panadol/paracetamol being harmful to the body eg takes 5 years for it to completely pass from our system etc. Any truth in all that? It triggers abit of asthma, that I know (hence ppl with serious asthma shouldn't take paracetamol) but its like abit of a tradeoff for me..

To-do-list for next 9 hours:
~5 chapters of IB (if I don't get bored ,that is)
~Fukuyama article "The End of History?" + Singh article "Against Nuclear Apartheid"
~make more coffee
~readup on Joint Ventures
~settle some company stuff

Really felt like chatting with someone just now, but she was on-call in the hospital. If I think my days are busy, I guess its an overstatement compared to hers. Miss my friends back home. There are friends here too, but almost everyone is busy with their own lives. Alot of things have changed this year, in terms of personal development, its been more fulfilling but with a lot more negatives as well. Difficult to elaborate, since I don't treat my blog as a journal..

Random photo

2005-09-19T00:22:00.000+10:00

Cactus Farm, Cameron May 2004

This is my Friday night

2005-09-16T21:45:00.000+10:00

Almost 10pm - still in uni. Going back soon and gosh its been freezing cold outside. Spring in Melbourne is just like winter, cept its abit worse sometimes, cos it rains all the time. I'm too comfy in the library, don't feel like braving the cold outside tonight. Its the mid-autumn (chinese) festival this weekend, with many things going on. Too many things in fact. For now, I just want to concentrate on uni work. If you can't reach me on my mobile - I don't want to be disturbed.

God I hate technology sometimes. Don't like the ability of being able to be contacted all the time.

Next week:
*Conservation talk
*Meet with Dot (I hope)
*IB assignment 35%. Lots of research to be done.

October -
*Taxation Law assignment 20%? or 30%?
*INT Quiz
*INT Report 2 30% - the anti-globalisation movement
*INT Report 3 40% - haven't decided topic, either UN or India and offshoring.
*Desiyah final manufacturing batch and preparing for liquidation.
*Desiyah board meeting
*Desiyah annual report to be prepared (finance)
*E X A M S

Then -- going back!

"W A H H H" / Jacky Cheung concert

2005-09-16T02:02:00.000+10:00

AUD 60 = RM 180 per kg.

That was the first "WAHH".

Something else made me go "WAHHH" again that day - Jacky Cheung's "Snow Wolf Lake" musical tickets in November. Have a look at the seating plan at Putra Stadium here.

Tickets have been on sale only since yesterday and RM140 tickets are sold out. Thats the cheapest tickets btw.

Tickets are F R E A K I N G E X P E N S I V E.

RM690 for the best seats. No, let me rephrase, thats the best "for-sale" seats after the astounding number of VVIPs, VIPs plus corporate sponsor's seats (sarcasm intended).

Most likely getting the RM390 ones. When I first heard 390, thought it was decent seats but looking at the seating plan it seems sooo far away. For that kind of price, the seating's rather disappointing. But nonetheless I'm going anyways. Demand high, prices go sky-high. Its been ages since Snow Wolf Lake was performed in KL.

What bugs me is when converted to AUD, its still a wallet-hurting $130 plus. Thats more than enough to catch big-name acts touring in Aus. I heard Ja Rule's concert tickets went for less than AUD70. Even the major act now- Broadway's Lion King musical tickets are going for less than AUD100.

=(

On a brighter note, me blogging about going for the event on 25th/26th Nov means I'm going to be back in KL by then..thats the only uplifting news I've had for weeks. Contrary to belief, I have my bad days too...

With spring comes the rain

2005-09-10T01:44:00.000+10:00

*yet another dodgy post title to add to the collection!

Thunderstorm in my area right now. I heard (gasp!) thunder and saw lightning! Something I've (not actually) missed seeing since February in Msia. Strong winds and cold fronts are very common here, not flashes in the sky. Rain is awfully common though, remember it raining veryy often in spring.

Its officially spring. Flowers are blooming, reminding me I better go take pics of the huge botak tree at the train station before its leaves all "sprout" in a matter of days. Everyday as I take the 10 minute walk to the train station, I notice flowering buds that resemble those chinese blossoms we see during Chinese New Year, no idea what its called, but looks really pretty. No time to stop and look properly, no time to notice ongoing changes.

No time no time no time I usually say. But am in the midst of rearranging my priorities. Lets just say my hols at the end of the month will be pretty much spent on research, reading and more reading. Probably will hug my tax law book to sleep each night.

Just finished the MAJOR test at 8 plus. Bcos of it, had to miss the "family" dinner at home. Didn't really know what occasion this feast was for, apparently its just a get-together for housemates and also cos MoonCake festival's this weekend (I think). Besides hsemates, some church directors were here as well as a coupla guests. They kept a share of dinner for me so I had all the typical Msian yummy party food -- curry, beehoon, mee, dumplings, duck etc etc, plus dessert! Bishop Ha's wife cooks really good food! =)

~ on other things..Rebecca went to Sydney last week and got back to Seoul a coupla days ago. I must really say I kinda miss her presence around. She's been in Melb for a coupla months, a few months in Cairns before this, and a few months in New Zealand before that. Hahha as if life's a perpetual holiday. But still had to return to Seoul. They've this very open attitude to taking a gap year travelling after graduating from uni. This's the same thing Min's doing and also what most Aussies do. I think most Malaysian parents would be freaked out at this idea of a "gap year". Very often parents go "graduate already must start work blahblahblah"..

Rebecca, Min and I watch dramas together sometimes, or I get them to help me with my pronounciation occasionally. Intro-ed Chinese mooncakes to them awhile back, plus I get to pepper them with questions about Korea. Call it cultural interaction. After all, I'm not finding out much about Aussie culture here. To generalise, Aussies mix mostly with Aussies over here and other communities mix with their own communities. One can survive over here without needing to speak to any other Australian besides your lecturer or tutor.

Diverting abit from my original paragraph, I've asked my tutorial mates (all Australians) in INT (the globalisation unit I'm taking in uni) about this. Their reply as to why there's this segregation "We don't understand what they're thinking". By "they", my tute mates mean Asian Aussies (when they were in high school) and other Asian students. Multi-cultural Australia?

Back to topic::

On language, moving beyond "on-ma" (mother), "op-pa" (brother), "on-ni"(sister), "ap-pa"(father),"ya-pe-se-yo"(general greeting hello/how are you), "sarang-e-yo" (i love you)..

Try guessing what this means:
"kook-ki-di"
"na-bi"
"cha-dok-cha"
"nam-ja"
"yo-ja"

(answers in next post) ;P

ramblings/going home!

2005-09-09T02:13:00.000+10:00

As I'm studying, my eyes pauses on a photo on my desk. Taken 2 years ago during a road trip to Malaysia's east coast, it shows me surrounded by a sea of wild yellow flowers in the early morning hour, just after sunrise. I remember us stopping by the road side after witnessing sunrise at Kerteh. Li Kai held the camera at an angle, beautiful cloud formations in the distance..

Brings back alot of good memories. Seems a lifetime ago when we went on all those trips. Where all we needed was petrol in the car and a healthy curiosity (plus money of course). Now, most of them are working full time and its not very possible to take a week off to travel. But nonetheless I'll be trying to pull them away from work when I'm back.

Yupp ahhahhah I'm going back!! Booked my flight recently and if we count in weeks, its real soon! Melbourne in summer is hot, with HORDES of flies. Plus when there's nothing much to occupy life eg uni, its better to go back and bum at home instead.

Looking forward to -- mamak (I am known for being a mamak freak), yamcha, family, cheaper stuff, late nights out, trip (?), conversations in cars...

Not looking forward to -- humid weather, highly dangerous PJ (my area's extremely prone to snatch thefts, carjackings, robberies etc etc etc), traffic (urghh), lizards (hate 'em), mosquitoes, limited internet access...

~Bummer weather here is really weird lately. We had very strong winds for a coupla days. Then these few days hot (fairly) as in low 20s. This morning I was shivering in lecture. Afternoon was blazing HOT. Night is back to cold again. And the wind's howling now like nobody's business. Weird fluctuating weather, but is normal for Melb I suppose..

~Photography club competition on Saturday. But checked weather and apparently it'll be thunderstorms plus possible hail? omg wrong day

~ a word I've used frequently lately - boh chap - "don't care". Some things have made me wonder why I bother sometimes. Over the year, more and more reasons justifying apathy for those circumstances are justified.

~ About reading -- recently finished Alice Sebold's "The Lovely Bones", "Tuesdays with Morrie", "The Rise of China". How I managed to do that was by bringing the book everywhere. Read on trains, on platforms, at bus stops, while waiting for people and on breaks between classes (see how much time one can waste just waiting for public transport)..

Just started on "Global Instability: the political economy of world economic governance" (1999) Michie & Smith. First 2 articles are on the Asian financial crisis. A different perspective on the causes of it, compared to my previous readings. I gather from it - the crisis was partly aggravated by over reactions. Its the designated "bedtime reading" now and most days I just read till I fall asleep, clutching the book on one hand and my cuteee piggy cushion on another.

time to continue studying. MAJOR test tmrw. Average marks are a fail grade.
diediediediedie

thursday!

2005-09-08T22:36:00.000+10:00

An intense few days (or weeks rather).. Dropped by Clayton campus during my break today to take a look at the Photography Club's mini-exhibition. Actually its Caulfield's photography club but due to the extreme scarcity of wall-space in Caulfield to hang a few pictures, its been moved to Clayton. Have got 2 pics in it, taken during the winery tour in autumn.

If you're on Clayton campus, check it out! Located at the "Airport Lounge" (wonder whoever came up with this name) on 1st flr Campus Centre. Many events going on today, with a few stalls blocking views of the pics ("Make Poverty History" campaigners, a free performance (jazz?), someone was juggling plus a coupla people banging away on African drums). Throw in dozens of people lounging on the floor/stage area/chairs etc, you get an idea of busy campus lunch-hour.

mm..any developments lately..preparing for a major test tomorrow, so don't have much of a life at the moment. Talked to Gita today about our volunteering progress here in. Both of us expressed interest at about the same time and as the semester progresses, we're inching along, updating each other when we meet. Alot of people go for high-profile organisations eg Red Cross and Salvation Army, but the process is quite lengthy. Besides submitting your coupla-pages application form, there's a police check required. Gita says they'll probably contact you in a coupla months(!). Have the application kit etc for these 2 organisations cos went for an information session recently, but the information session itself irritated me.

The group consists of Monash students liaising with the organisations. All a noble idea. What irks me was how the whole event was promoted. The words "employability" was used more than "volunteering". I know its seen by many as enhancing employment prospects but seriously that was an OVERemphasis on that aspect of volunteering. Why do people do what they do? I believe thats more important.

Some other organisations have looser requirements. Am involving myself with some other things now. Yesterday morning had a surprise call from Parkinsons Victoria cos they needed someone bilingual to greet delegates arriving for the Asian n Intl Symposium next month. Initially declined cos the HK delegates were arriving at the airport at 6plus in the morning. But the nice thing abt these people - she's gonna come pick me up and drop me to uni afterwards. This also shows one thing - everyone can volunteer. There're simply too many options available, with the process (usually) simple. Check out www.volunteer.com.au for opportunities.

Hiatus

2005-09-07T00:00:00.000+10:00

Been on an extended hiatus from blogging since last week. Was supposed to blog in BM but the post never materialised, sorry.

Days are busy, filled with some mind-numbing stuff. I have suddenly becomed very inefficient + not productive these few weeks. Took a day off from it all (though I really feel like taking a permanent break from all of this) last Friday and ended up in Lygon St with SW.

Somehow we ended up abit lost in Carlton and wandered over to Nicholson St. Traipsed around Rathdowne St, strolled through the Melbourne Museum park, got startled by the many possums, had a nice dinner at one of those places and adjourned to Brunetti's.

God I need to get out more.

Ping pong/mamak food on Wed/blogging in Malay?

2005-08-29T23:56:00.000+10:00

*caution -- long post ahead

I feel like a ping pong today.

Home -- Caulfield -- Clayton -- Caulfield -- Home

Had to drop by Caulfield on my way back to (try to) get an overnight loan copy of something I needed. Bah it still wasn't available (been waiting all day for it) meaning I had to waste extra time waiting for train. Underestimation when I say today's been WINDY.

Blown here blown there its a wonder my books haven't been blown away..

Now there's 2 assessments due tomorrow, plus a test -- thats the unfortunate part. Fortunate thing is - I just replenished my Nescafe supply. Contrary to belief, I am gettting sick of not having much sleep.

K.L. knows how busy I've been (and still am) lately and has nicely offered to come cook on Thursday. We're still deciding - steamboat or just plain dinner (wth curry?). My class ends late so I'll prob be doing the "eating" part that day =P

Talking about curries, Wednesday's Merdeka Day. Life goes on over here. Uni's still on, shops still open and no "thousand flags on one car shows" on the road. BUT, and this's a BIG BUT - we're having something on in campus!

Mamak food.

They're getting Bismi (a mamak in Melbourne) to cater Malaysian food (buffet) on Wed night. Not too sure whats on the menu but shd have roti, murtabak, briyani, teh tarik etc. Wait till you hear bout how much it costs -- AUD 15 0_O

Amazing really, the price I mean. Convert it and think of how many rotis one could possibly buy back home?!

Actually, forget about converting it. I'm still going.

Also considering this - Merdeka Blogger Project (whoops it looks like the site got hacked?) - to blog in my chosen language on Merdeka Day. Most have been talking about blogging in Malay. Still thinking bout it cos its really been ages since I've written anything in Malay. The only times in the past few years where I've spoken Malay's when:

at mamak -- "Boss, teh ais satu!"
to the taxi driver -- "Bang, ada pergi XOXO" to which they typically reply "takde/jam lah"
at government offices -- "terima kasih"
er.. I don't remember anymore..

So this's whats happened to 12 years of acquired skills in Malay. I can remember how people liked to start off speeches with "Selamat petang Tan Sri XOXO, Datuk Dr XOXO, Datuk XOXO, Datin-Datin, Tuan-tuan dan Puan-puan sekalian....." which exemplifies Malaysians' "attachment" and importance placed onto honorific titles. Hopefully I can regain some usage of Malay language by Wednesday enough to blog about whether they had teh halia or whatnot at dinner..

Still on language - realised my Chinese writing skills have diminished somewhat. Went for a talk at the Chinese Methodist church last weekend where we had a visiting professor from Taiwan. He gave a talk on "The Journey to the West" (西游记) and associating that with the concept of sin in Christianity (ingenious and very original ideas!!). A very good speaker indeed. Jotted some notes and had to replace some words with "XOXO" when I was unclear of the exact strokes. Will blog about that session if I have time next week (very much in doubt though)

Also a thought's been stuck in my head. Someone mentioned something 2 days ago and I've been doing abit of thinking. It was mentioned to me - "perhaps you feel obligated to be nice/friendly to XXXX just because you know them". That was good insight and I realised thats kinda true. There's perhaps no substitution for growing apart and having different perceptions of how life is.

blog more later.. back to work.