Light bulb!

Light Bulb

One person's rubbish is another person's treasure.

I think this is extremely true.

I am hungry for a PSP and I know people who practically bought theirs for display purposes only.

I dream of a cute as button puppy and there are people whose pets die of boredom.

I have clothes I can no longer fit into and there must be someone out there wanting the same thing!

So my conclusion is: Recycling is the key to uhm, everything!

Lately there is the trend of selling/trading online stuffs you no longer need. I wonder if I should try doing that as well! After all, while the other person can get the item for a lower price, I can earn some extra cash for something new, muahahaha!

Tell me if you think this is a good idea!!!!!!!!

I love scouting around for bargains/2nd hand items/ vintage stuffs.

I love going to Camberwell Market on Sundays. They sell second hand items/ handmade items - a great place for either a bargain or for vintage-shopping!

In fact I would be selling stuff there if not for the long queue in line for the stalls. Sigh.

So how?? Should I do this!!?

Moomba Waterfest 2009

Moomba Waterfest 2009

This the weekend for Melbourne's very own Moomba Waterfest! Although I am not sure of the origin of this jolly festival but I sure enjoy it every year.

Like every other year, you get game stalls and soft toys, hot dogs and jam donuts, fireworks and concerts! The money paid for the games is for charity, so those are money spent for a good cause! The time spent there is with friends, so those are time spent for another good cause!

This year, we went there in what seemed like an entourage of students - padahal only one of us is still studying. As usual, we went there by train until Flinders Station then just walked over to the huge playground.

A familiar sight! This year there were a few additional and cuter toys! - Baby Mario, Baby Luigi and some deliciously coloured big teddy bears! As soon as we saw the first stall, the girls started oozing their "Yer. . .that doll is soooooo cute!" while the guys shed their first drop of sweat. Like every other year.

But I must say that having such an event is perfect for fundraising. Game stalls encourage:

Ego (male): "Don't stop me, I must win one big Ducky for you, darling."

Manja-ness (female): "That unicorn is so cute, can you please win it for me, please?"

Tantrum (female): "Look at that guy over there, 3 dolls already, 3 dolls! You??"

Tantrum (male): "I'll win you that damn Panda even if I have to empty my wallet, you get it?!"

Determination (both): "I promise I'll win something tonight after 3 years of trying!"

Persistence (both): "Maybe the next game I will win leh. Okay, trial #136."

Admiration (female): "Oh my gosh, you are so good at this, baby."

All these lead to: more money for charity!

It is also a great place to catch up with friends and expect to see a few familiar faces. It is also a great place to remind yourself annually of how you suck in games :-(

Here is a pictorial depiction of a stressed boyfriend. So stressed that the background is getting blurry.

Everyone had quite some fun that night, although evidently not much luck. But I was the luckiest. Luckiest of the luckiest, man!

But before that, lemme show you the fireworks :-)

Now you know why I was the luckiest on that night?

I got the doll I wanted!

And I got it from someone else!

And it wasn't my boyfriend!

The story behind this is pretty funny. The only game in which I had some sorta chance in winning was the lottery game. $3 for 5 numbers and if one of the numbers matches one of their lucky numbers, then you win a doll! So I tried 3 times! Got nothing. Then Vincent tried once and I said I'd definitely be angry at him if he gets it the first time. And pinpon, he got it!

He asked me which one he should get as he really did not need a doll. So I gave him my 'wise' opinion and he got that one and being nice, he gave it to me! Jeng jeng jeng.

Am I lucky or what!

Lost 3 times, no skills for other games, not even single/pretty enough to be woo-able by Vincent - and yet! I got a doll from him! Bwahaha.

While writing this post, I decided to look for our Moomba pictures from last year and did some comparison.

1. We had so much more dolls last year! Reason for the decline? Recession, lack of training/motivation among the guys due to aging, lack of manja-ness from girls due to aging (maybe?) Jess, Yiki and I were eating rather than wanting dolls.

2. Last year was grilling hot and this year it was freezing cold!

3. Most noticable difference? The missing of Mr Tan. Halfway through the event, I suddenly realized why he was not able to make it due to 'commitments made earlier'. He saved the stress of having to win something for me, saved the money he would probably need to spend trying, saved his time to watch some anime instead. But I got a doll, so cher.

But the most exciting thing to have happened that night was not during the festival itself. But during our trip back home on the train. A fight occured on the train!!!!!!!

There were some kids playing around with aluminium foils, scrunching them up into balls and throwing them around. This finally got onto the nerves of a fellow passenger and soon a verbal fight started. Then suddenly!! An older guy appeared and started physically pushing the passenger and more suddenly, he took out a knife and threatened the other guy with it! As soon as this happened, two guys rushed to tear both of them apart. It would be scary to imagine what could have happened.

Weird little things

I am a weird person.

Before that, I read a very sweet post on a friend's blog (erm, we do not technically know each other other than glances across Campus Centre and timid smiles, her name is Hui Wen). Her boyfriend, surprised her with a big yellow sunflower just because he thought the colour of the flower matched her clothes for the day. On cue . . . "How sweeeeeeeet!" On cue again. . . ."Happens in real life meh!!??"

Well, yeah it does. For one, I get such surprises all the time. Everytime I turn around I see my Ray with: an uber gelato, a creamy milkshake, obsessed with a new gadget, snoring away the afternoon, a platter of sushi/sashimi.

Now, why did I balloon up during winter?

Back to weirdness. Everyone has their very own quirky, unreasonable, strange habits I guess. Let me share some of mine with you.

1. I always flush the toilet the moment before I leave. Big, small business. Good, bad odour. Told to or told not to. Why? Cause the flushing noise is just too loud! But not flushing is just too eew-y! This scenario often happens:

Mum: Kah, don't flush the toilet first!

Me: Okay. *Flush* Ahhhhhh!

2. The dishes I cook are often really 'dark' in colour. I love splashin in dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, etc. Or add corn flour to make it thicker and the darkness more intense. I call this sexy-cooking.

3. I can get really emotional or involved with a movie/series/fictional character. I cried until the whole bed was shaking during the third time watching 1 Litre of Tears. I have never watched an episode of Heroes without cursing 'heavily' at Claire and lately, Matt Parkman, or whoever gets into Peter's way. I mean, your Dad loves you that much, you bimbo cheerleader!

4. I tend to peel off my nails. Especially on cold nights. Especially when I am watching something. Especially when the sun is shining. Especially when I am zoning out.

5. I always do this in order every morning: brush teeth, wash face, apply sunblock, put on contact lens, get dressed (top first, pants second), put on make up, finally accessorize. Steps can be omitted but the order cannot change!

6. I brush my teeth really hard, or else I will feel like I did not brush at all. So, my toothbrushes often end up this way.

7. I wash my face without lowering my face near the tap or sink as I always have the feelingmy head is gonna reach the tap and I will knock my head onto it!

8. If I eat something which is too spicy, I will start with a runny nose, then numbness around my fingers and finally, tears in my eyes. And I will still be eating boohoohoo.

9. I always dream about celebrities and they are most often males and they are almost always in a relationship with me! Talk about lucky, man! I have been hugged by a sweaty Shane Westlife after a concert, received a floral long skirt from Teru Glay in Jusco (hoho), touched Brad Pitt's face and most recently went for a walk with Milo Ventimiglia in a park with our adorable son.

10. I love ironing clothes. I love seeing the intricate details and smoothening out my clothes.

11. Usually when I get some new clothes I tend to take a while before wearing them as I - usually am not sure what to wear them with or have forgotten about them.

12. I was/am otaku enough to have thought of a story a.k.a name for a manga I wanted to publish during Form 2. The story is still fresh in my mind haha!

13. Whenever I start on my PS2, I will have a bottle of water and some biscuits beside me. So that I do not need to run back and forth to disrupt the flow of the game.

14. I like to purposely make people feel angry or act like I am angry/sad/offended only to tell them that I am not when they panic. But sometimes, I am so dedicated to this profession that I end up forgetting why I was angry or become angry for real. Woop!

15. I always think that I can probably sing better if I have a mic-stand with me and if I can jump higher.

16. My favourite potato ball/bomb is the one I tasted a few years back at a Malay stall in Cameron Highlands.

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On a separate but totally important note, I have became really dark. Sun-kissed not. Sun-munched.

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On a more important note, I am totally in love with the GreenTea Milkshake from Samurai. A little Japanese place situatedat 804 Glenferry Road, Hawthorn. Food is alrite but cheap-o and the milkshake is bombastic.

It looks green yucky in this shot. It was so thick, we could not drink through the straw at all!

But I guess you can sense the delicious-ness of it from this serene picture of Ray.

Being a 'seed'

Being a 'Seed'

I had my first ever face-to-face albeit rather informal interview for an internship position in the city yesterday. It is not the first time I was going to the city but for the first time I was not going there for Krispy Kreme/karaoke/shopping but for business.

It felt really good to be dressed formally and to blend in with the working class all over the city.

So being the excited fresh graduate I still am, I decided to document the day in pictures.

. . .the end.

Haha. Cause Si Pandai Lo forgot to bring her cellphone out hence that was the end of the documentary.

But the whole thing went really well and I met someone so impressive yet humble and helpful. I learnt more about the nature of the industry and what to be expected of from such a career.

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

The same night, I lodged my Temporary Residence application.

To apply for PR/TR after graduating from an Australian degree is so common that people often automatically-assume every single graduate to do so. And the decision not to is perceived as strange on the other hand.

The truth is, it is not really such an easy automated process. At least it was not, to me. It involved multiple huge decisions, an awful amount of thinking and really, the courage to click on the 'submit' button.

With my previous visa applications, both being student visas, there was always an expiry date. Insignificant as it might have been previously, it signified an 'end' to said stay in Australia after the fulfilling the proposed purpose - e.g. end of study period and back home.

After that, I would do what I have always done and be in where I have always been - back home and with my family.

But this time, reading the clauses, conditions and decriptions of the TR visa - I felt like there was a knot in my stomach and 'uncertainty' travelling at lightspeed through my nerves.

I have always known that this is what I want. To stay here in Australia, gain some work experience and of course, hopefully to build a life worth telling here.

In Malaysia, I have always felt like a single fruit growing on a big tall tree with loads of green leaves - the tree providing me shelter, protection and security.

Right now, being over here, I feel like a single seed buried within soil - waiting to sprout and grow and trying hard to survive with the help of nature.

A bit too exaggerated, maybe, but hey that is my style. And honestly, I do feel like that.

Applying for TR, to me, signifies more than just renewing a visa or deciding to stay back in Australia to earn money/for friends/for a better future.

After clicking on the 'submit' button, I felt like:

I have cut off a part of my life - the most obvious being Sandakan and its memories. 'Cut off' might sound too severe, it is more like a feeling that it is no longer as accessible or readily available to me as an option. I know I can always return there - where most of my family members are, where my grandmas practice their secret recipes, where I buy bubble tea while wearing ugly shorts, where afternoon tea sessions are popular, where Seven Heaven rules the dessert market, where any sorta small news travels fast and grows faster - but, honestly, can I always?

I am further away from my family and friends. Being a student and overseas - you can expect to go back and have a reunion with everyone. Being a non-student and overseas - you cannot expect to just go back as you want and have a reunion anytime you like. Right now, I feel like my priorities, my commitments, my responsibilities - have all changed: heavier, more important. And I am sure it is the same for my friends. With everyone being so busy, and me being so distant: you wonder how far you are from the others.

I am a 'seed'. I really want to grow. I really want to grow tall and strong. I really want the tree I left to feel proud of me.

There is a certain kind of emptiness in me now. A neutral kinda of emptiness.

But I have done what I have long decided to. And I shall grow - with some newfound TLC in this new land.

My favourite soundtracks

Some of my all time favourite soundtracks.

'Reality'

Sometimes I wonder if this is reality. If it is, do I want to stay here or rocket away?

This being reality, I should be thankful for what I have. I am lucky enough to have all that I can see in front of me now and I believe, so much more which I am blinded to.

This not being reality, I should think twice before leaving- is fantasy really as good as 'reality' or is it 'worse'?

I do not have the habit of napping in the afternoon. Due to a few reasons.

When I was really young, I used to think sleeping time is a waste of time. There is so much more one can do - play, talk, eat, run, play - so why sleep?

Then there was this once when I napped in the afternoon. But I was in a dream in a dream. I kept waking up to find myself still in the dream and this cycle went on until my Mum called me from her office and I was woken up. The feeling is strange - I had to ascertain whether I was really awake.

The arrangement of the room was the same but so was it in my dream.
The way I woke up was the same but so was it in my dream.

From then on, I had this thought: Everytime I wake up, how can I be sure I have woken up in 'reality'?

I used to think that there are a few dimensions out there: different versions of 'reality'

Whenever one sleeps, we would be leaving 'reality'. We dream when we intercross between each dimension. Usually one would return to their own dimension when they physically wake up in that very dimension. But if one travels far enough or immerse deep enough into their dream, one might wake up in another dimension - not realizing it as they are just different versions of 'reality' where the past remains the same, but the future will be different.

After a while I started questioning about life after death. What about similar to the previous theories, there are alternate versions of the world out there. The different versions being different era e.g. World War II, Ice Age, etc. One will not always be born into the future in their next life as there might be a chance you will be born into the past!

In conclusion, I think I should be a mangaka.

Wahaha. I am so into being a mangaka right now it is not funny :-)

Reason? Read this new and really interesting manga! BAKUMAN!

It is another collaboration by the geniuses behind Death Note~ and it details the exciting and hard world behind the creation of a manga and life as a mangaka. Definitely give it a go, I am obsessed :-)

Dressing Myself Up

Dressing Myself Up

Whenever I am feeling a little down, I love dressing up and making up - for any or no reason at all. Maybe you will think that this is vanity at its max but I shall call it my very own little pick-me-up routine. After all, one's gotta know how to cheer oneself up!

I'd wake up feeling groggy/negative/grumpy and even more so as I brush my teeth.

But one splash of the icy cold water would clear my mind and nothing feels fresher than a clean face. I'd indulge myself with every step - toner, moisturiser - nothing feels better than pampered skin.

Then scanning through clothes - dresses, tops, jeans, shirts - yellow, green, blue, black - finally, always back to the same question: Why can't I find anything to wear? :-(

Being a girl is great ;-) you can dress according to your mood or 'feel' for the day:- sexiness, Glay-esque, punkish, lolita, cuteness. Rather than the blue/grey/black combo for every other guy *shrugs*

Something better? There is nothing better than a beautifully made up face.

It is not about putting on your best-looking face or the skills in doing so.

It is all about feeling good about yourself, about the day :-)

Usually I'll be experimenting with colours when I am down. Instead of the usual dash of dark eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara combo with concealer for my dark circles, I will have the itch to open up the never-been-used or used-6-months-ago green eyeshadow and just have some fun with it!

Usually, no matter how bad it seems or surprisingly good it turns out to be - I will be happier . . . a whole lot more!

Girls should always dress up for themselves - there needs no reason to and there is definitely no reason not to! It is alright to dress up for someone else from time to time, but ultimately it must be for yourself!

I met a guy before who said that girls always dress up for guys - "no matter how they deny it, to feel good or whatever, in the end it is always for attention and who else - but from guys"

Hmm, I think that was the last statement I heard of from him. Cause I never wanted to see him again *shrugs* He wore super short, disgusting sports shoes anyway *bleuk*

I am happy again :-)

Valentine's Gold

Valentine's Gold

Hi, I am going to write about my valentine's day for this year. It has been more than a week ago, I know. But I was trying to make it interesting, so here goes.

On the 13th of February 2009, Mr Tan:

a) surprised me with tickets to Gold Coast for a Valentine's Day getaway and I was touched to tears. I flung my arms around him and he swung me in circles at 600 rpm!

b) coincidentally booked tickets back to Melbourne through Gold Coast on that day and I cried in LCCT cause of the separation from my family. I looked like a sniffling-dog, gone was the cuteness girls usually save up for Valentine's Day.



We arrived at Gold Coast airport:

a) knackered, exhausted, zombified - hence not only no pictures but also 3 hours of sleep upon checking into the hotel.

b) in-love, butterflies in stomach, diabeticly sweet - hence a marathon of PDA-fest and no time for pictures!

The very first day was funny:

a) we were walking all over surfer's paradise without a hint of worry while Mr Tan surprised me with a beautiful rose at full bloom!

b) we were walking everywhere under the rain while Mr Tan un-surprised me with a huge Copenhagen ice-cream at 1000 calories!

For dinner, we:

a) went to a cozy little Japanese restaurant, found by us like a rare gem during the day. Ordered our usual favourites, small-talked on random topics and laughed for no reasons - like we always do.

b) went to a restaurant for a candlelight dinner and wine and cheese as a handsome pianist sat somewhere, seducing poor helpless Me for 4 hours.



After the nice dinner, we:

a) walked all around Surfer's Paradise again, this time under the stars as Mr Tan un-surprised me with yet another big gelato serving at 1000 calories at 9.30 pm.

b) strolled around aimlessly as we made our wishes to the moon and Mr Tan surprised me by giving me yet another big violet rose at 9.30 pm.

We went to the beach at night and we thought of:

a) drawing hearts on the sand, taking pictures of our loved-up selves.

b) the last time we were at a beach together at night 'Easter Camp' and after that 'how did we end up this way??'


The very next morning, we walked to the beach as well since the previous day was a rainy day and Gold Coast did not seem as 'gold' as it is supposed to be!

We ended up:

a) doing spins, playing frisbee, me wearing a bikini flaunting my amazing figure under the sun!

b) resting under the shades while we people-watched - surfer dudes for me and bikini gals for him - each of us in our own little fantasy worlds.

Looking back at these pictures aren't so bad right now - I am feeling kinda cold at home.

We spent that very day with my brother Eddie - eating. What he does best. After that, we checked into another hotel with around 50 kgs worth of luggage. Once there, Mr Tan:

a) hit the snooze button while I read my Haruki Murakami. After 3 hours, we went out to a cute little Japanese place called Donto Sapporo where we did what we do best - eat, talk and laugh - together.

b) sang love songs to me while I blushed - er, for three hours after which both of us were so hungry. He cooked up a storm while I just sat and watched.

On the third and final day, Mr Tan said:

a) "Let's walk to Pacific Fair, it's gonna take just 15 minutes!" It took more than 30 minutes and it was amazingly hot.

b) "Let's look for this Tandoori Place!" We did not find the place only to find it while we were heading back but it was too late.

In a nutshell:

a) I had an amazing Valentine's Day and it is true when they say that, when you feel happy, you know it.

b) I could not ask for anything, or rather anyone, better.

Hint for answering those questions!!

Mr Tan: I wonder where those people bought their flowers from?

(as we strolled pass 4,056 florists/flower stalls)

Are the true answers - coloured or white? Pretty obvious, eh?

KS

Reality Hits!

If KS Tan and I decide to part ways one day, it will not be of jealousy, third party, conflict, argument, violence, irreconcilable differences or disappointment.

It will be of winning Mario Kart on GameCube. *sulk*

Bangkok Mmm-mmm

Bangkok Mmm-mmm

Remember I went to Bangkok in January? Hoho, well I was too busy . .

. . shopping to take pictures while in Bangkok.
. . wearing my new clothes to post pictures after returning from Bangkok.

Clothes shopping over there is like buying rojak! A great mix, at low prices and viciously tempting >;-D

One of the most easily accessible and navigatable shopping place in Bangkok is in my opinion, Pratunam. Platinum Shopping Centre (I think! Just ask KangNing) In fact we stayed a walking distance away from the shopping centre itself only woot!

No pictures were allowed inside Platinum but to give you a clear picture of what it is all about, these pictures below show our conquests by the end of day 1.

WenJi was as always the winner.

My sister and my conquests.

The victorious state of our hotel room.

The hotel we stayed in was amazing for the price, comfort and facilities, if not for the location. It costed only 1300 baht per night (the internet price) for a room as pictured above with a huge flat screen TV and spacious bed. The hotel was called Citin Pratunam Hotel and a google will guide you through booking and in a month's time you might be there youself!

The staffs in the hotel were so nice. Not mentioning the provision of free internet service - where WenJi received her offer letter for her current job and me some other good news :-) The hotel has its own tuk tuk and even offered to chauffer us to and back from Platinum. How nice le!

But tuk tuk rides can be scary especially for the faint-hearted like me. Or let me be more specific - a tuktuk ride with an overload of 6 people swerving in between traffic at night.

Thai people are frankly really polite and nice - from their endless streams of thank yous and smiles from customs officers. Thai girls are extremely skinny and well-dressed, actually!

Believe it or not, my sis Lowena was featured in one of the advertisements (picture above), notice the one far right. Omg. It is her, rite?

Somehow, we felt obliged to return to Fuji for lunch before our shopping began. Fuji was the very first restaurant we went to when we went to Bangkok in 2006. But only after that we realized, Fuji is everywhere in Bangkok rite now! Aaah. But we were extremely hungry.

And of course, for the last dinner in Bangkok, a visit to Amy's aunt's restaurant for their awesome food and kick-ass coconut juice. The second best thing? Meeting up with Kat and Ji again. Haha, I was kidding. Should be the other way around!

Can't wait for another trip with my sister/friends/family! This time with my hard-earned money I hope! I can't help but upload this picture. Cos in front of the billboard, we looked so fair.