My Melbourne Escapade

My first post in more than two months. Yikes! I haven't been blogging because I completely lost my blogging mojo. It was serious this time. I didn't even THINK about wanting to blog. In fact, I was flirting with the idea of deleting it or taking everything down. I'm not completely sure what brought this on... but at one point, I just didn't want to write, or didn't feel like I could write anymore. Everything I wrote sounded so... wrong.


But I left my blog as it is in the end because I figure it'd be nice to look back and see what I was thinking and how I've grown 10 years down the line. Which was why I started blogging in the first place. However, I probably won't be blogging as much as I used to. Certainly not as much as my Xanga days. I find it a bit hard sometimes because I can't share as much things as I would like to due to privacy issues and all that. I have to self-censor and self-edit a lot as quite a number of my friends and family know of this blog. It's true when they say our generation are all our own editors, because a lot of thought goes into what we choose to present to the world.


I also started a Tumblr to gain a little inspiration and share my collection of pictures I've amassed from the internet over the years. It's mainly a place where I try to put all of the things I find inspiring, motivating and pretty together. Never fails to make me feel a bit better when I go though it. If you're interested, you can check it out or follow me at:

freshlybrewedideas.tumblr.com

Anyway, I thought I'd blog about my trip to Melbourne during the semester break before the memories from the trip start to fade around the edges and become fuzzy. So here are some bits and pieces of my Melbourne trip, in no particular order, coz I'm lazy to rearrange them. Forgot that I had to arrange them as I upload, otherwise it's a pain in the arse to drag them around and rearrange them. THAT's how long I haven't blogged man.

One of the best things about going to Melbourne (and one of the things I really looked forward to), was having yummylicious macaroons. I had macaroons everyday for the last 3 days I was in Melbourne. And we tapau-ed a box of Lindt macaroons back to Brisbane.

I actually don't know why macaroon are SO addictive. The chewy goodness, the right amount of sweetness? What about it makes everyone love it and want it so bad? To the extent that people started complaining to me about the amount of macaroon pictures I post on Facebook! Said I made them hungry and envious. Sorry guys! :(

Max Brenner Belgian waffles are the shiz! They were so good... just the right amount of fluffiness in the waffles and chocolatey goodness drizzled all over it. Plus vanilla ice-cream (I'm a big fan of vanilla)! I was in gastronomic heaven.

This was taken after we went for the Tim Burton exhibition at Federation Square. The weather was gorgeous that day. The exhibition was really interesting and I enjoyed it. However, we went on the last day of the exhibition so there were a ton of other people rushing to see it too. We had to wait for our turn to look at the drawings in more detail, which started to get annoying after a while because some people took ages! But it was a good exhibition overall and I'm glad we managed to catch it.

I managed to find a Juno hamburger phone at the Queen Victoria markets! I didn't get it in the end though coz I didn't know where I would use it and it seemed slightly pointless. The Queen Victoria markets were huge! But the stuff they sold was quite similar to the Carrara Markets on the Gold Coast (which we were recently at), so we didn't get too much stuff.

My sister was also thwarted at her attempts to find the vendor that sold amazing treasure chest boxes, which she saw the last time she was in Melbourne but didn't buy. But we had a good time just walking around and eating jam-filled doughnuts. Mmmmm. Oh and spending cousinly time with Greg! Thanks Greg for accompanying us and bringing us around!!

Flinder's Street Station.
I took this while we were having coffee at Federation Sqaure after a very awesome dinner at Lygon Steakhouse. It was also the night of that epic Collingwood match and there were Collingwood supporters everywhere, celebrating their win. It was quite crazy coz people in cars would go past shouting "Collingwood!" and waving scarves and flags and all the people on the street would yell along or start cheering and whooping.

Laurent on Little Collins Street! Where we get our macaroon fix. We get our macaroon from here or Lindt. They have really good pastries too. It was nice to just chill here during the afternoon and have tea while people watching.

Cousinly time!
Having family around me really makes a lot of difference. I instantly felt a tad more complete and at home.

My sister made me do this. I quite like how the lighting turned out actually. I really like all the street art and graffiti in Melbourne. I wish we had that in Brisbane too. It gives Melbourne so much more character.

One of my favourite graffiti along that street. A Tokidoki-esque looking girl and a cute jellyfish.

The gorgeous Vicky. And of course, going to Melbourne means getting to see friends from back home. I was glad I managed to meet most of them there.

Joanne and I at Max Brenner.
Did I mention there's a Max Brenner is Brisbane now? I practically squealed when I saw it and gave Amanda a fright. The lines were crazy long though so I decided to go back during the weekdays to get another dose of Belgian waffles.

Having superb gelato at Freddo's after a satisfying Italian dinner at Lygon. I was really full after the dinner, but managed to wallop two scoops of gelato anyway because it was so good!

State Library with Kit Mun.
We didn't manage to wander around inside the State Library coz they were closing when we arrived. So we only caught a quick glimpse before they ushered out again. I probably should visit the Brisbane State Library to see if the it's as nice as the Melbourne one...

Walking back to the tram after shopping a DFO. It was great to be shopping with one of my girls again. At the same time, it also felt slightly odd because I'm so used to shopping alone here in Brisbane. When I wait for my sister to get off work and go for a dance class or when I'm waiting for my friends to arrive for lunch/dinner, I usually hit the shops alone. And do speed shopping, so I kinda forgot how it felt like to shop with someone else again.

We had glorious weather again that day. I know you're probably sick of me going on about the weather but in Melbourne, good weather (meaning lotsa sunshine so it's not so damn cold) can really make or break a day. Melbourne's spring felt like Brisbane's winter man. No joke... especially at night. And it was really hard for me on the first day coz I just came from Brissie and was used to wearing just a light jacket but had to switch back to my winter coats again.

Waiting for the bus at Monash, Clayton campus. I didn't expect Clayton to be that far away from the city. Takes about an hour to get from Clayton to the city and we had to take both bus and train. It's times like these I'm glad I'm in Brisbane where uni and the city is just 10 minutes away.

Camwhore partner is back!! Although I don't really like taking pictures of myself anymore coz I've gained so much weight! Just looking at my chubby cheeks makes me want to hurl. And that's saying something coz I NEVER EVER had a problem with how I looked before this horrible weight gain that's made me the heaviest I've ever been in my life. Meh. And it's not just how I look, it's how I feel as well. My pants have all gotten so tight and when I sit down now, I can feel the rolls of fat on my tummy and back. It is SO disgusting. Need to lose all the weight I've gained, pronto!

I stayed with Kit Mun for the first two days in her dorm.
So I got my pseudo-dorm experience. :) It was really cool. The only thing I didn't like about it was the communal bathrooms. It was FREEZING everytime I went to take a bath. Plus everytime you want to take a bath, you've got to bring all your toiletries with you, which was a bit of a pain. Other than that, it was fun having so many people around all the time. Although I think studying would be hard coz there's just so much distraction!

One thing I really liked and miss about Melbourne is the food. They have MUCH better food than Brisbane! I had the most authentic Nasi Lemak in a Malaysian restaurant at Glen Waverly. It was so good! I really wish I had more time in Melbourne just to eat. It was THAT good. I didn't have a single bad meal in Melbourne.


I had a wonderful trip overall. Despite getting sick on the morning we had to leave for Brissie and throwing up. And having the worst flight back ever because I was so sick, nauseous and my sinus was so bad my ear pressure couldn't equalize. It was the most painful thing ever! I was literally woken up because of the pain. It was terrible and I vow never to fly when I am sick again. Urgh.


I can see why so many people like Melbourne though. It's such a beautiful city... with a lot of character. There's so many quirky cafes and interesting shops to explore. I feel like I didn't get to see enough even though I spent almost a week there and it was my second time in Melbourne. I would gladly go back again... third time's the charm hey?

On another note, I'm loving the weather in Brisbane now. All the flowers are in full bloom because it's spring and it's so gorgeous! Plus we get lotsa sunlight and longer days but it's not too hot or stifling coz it's still spring and there's wind. Definitely going to chill by the pool tomorrow.


Good Luck for finals everyone!

The Top 5 Mistakes Guys Make When Dancing Salsa

Inspired by the amazing quality of male salsa dancers last night, this is my top 5 mistakes guys makes when dancing salsa list. In hopes that a guy will stumble across this and take heed! I'm not saying I'm the best salsa dancer out there, nor am I the best follower, and I understand that the guys have it a lot harder when dancing salsa coz they have to think about so much stuff. But really, these are just the basic, BASIC things you do to make the girl WANT do dance with you.

So here goes!


1. Holding the girl too close
Like, hello?! You are invading my personal space bubble! Proxemics, anyone?! (I've just studied this today in my interpersonal communication class) No dancer can dance properly when all they feel like doing is taking a step back. No, make that several steps back. I really hate the feeling, it makes me feel really caged as if I have no space to breathe or think. I can barely follow his steps as I try not to think about how in my face he is. Plus, doesn't he feel that I am pushing back damn bloody hard against his hand to try and put more distance between us? And how do you tell this to the guys without hurting his pride/ego/dancing confidence?


2. Having bad breath
Because we are already in such close proximity, if the guy has bad breath, it really just makes dancing 10 times worse. Because I'm either trying to hold my breath, which makes dancing really hard in case you didn't notice; or the wafts of bad breath just make it really distracting and I can't follow properly because again, I'm trying to step back and put as much distance between us as possible. Please, please, PLEASE invest in mints or chewing gum or something man.


3. Have clothes that smell like they haven't been dried properly
And this isn't only in the case of guys who dance salsa, in general people who smell like this make me nauseated. I mean, can't you smell that horrible smell emitting from your clothes? In my sister's words: "What, are you immune to smelliness?" I don't know about you, but the thing I like the most about doing my laundry is how all my clothes smell like detergent and softener after that - clean, fresh and crisp. And I'd like to keep it that way which is why I make sure my clothes dry off properly before wearing them again. For the life of me, I don't understand why these people can't do the same. It's really not that hard leaving your clothes on the clothes rack for another hour of sun bathing.


4. Elbowing my head at any point during the dance
I am already very short. At a measly 162 cm, I am already shorter-than-the-average person, especially here is Australia. So really, you have NO excuse to be elbowing me in the head when you spin me or do turn patterns. I wonder how these people manage when they have to dance with taller girls. Pffftt!


5. Robot salsa
This is salsa, dude, it's supposed to be smooth. This is not popping in hip hop. So, sudden jerky movements or steps or really not appreciated. Not only does it annoy me, it makes us look really bad on the dance floor. I understand that the guys have a lot more to think about when dancing salsa (keeping time, thinking of what steps to do next, leading the girl properly) but if at any time you're in doubt, just do the basic step larh! I don't mind doing 5 sets of basics before a turn pattern hits you but really, don't make ambiguous jerky leads where I don't know where you want me to go or what you want me to do. Meh.

Transition.

I woke up on Thursday morning feeling completely disorientated. I thought I was still in my bed at home, and it took me a few minutes to realize that I wasn't. The surroundings were oddly familiar, which was why I thought I was at home. I was home. It was just a different home. It was the Brissie home.


I think that was the first time I ever felt homesick. Prior to Thursday, I've never felt homesick. Sure, I missed my family, my friends, but I never wished I was back home, living the KL life. And for the first time since I've come to Brisbane; for the first time in 5 months, I felt homesick. I suddenly wished I was back in my room at home, and then I would walk down 3 flights of stairs to the kitchen and my family would be at the dining table - dad and sis getting ready for work and mom pottering about the kitchen making us breakfast. Instead, I got up to make my own breakfast in an empty apartment. The homesickness hit me hard at that moment. It's better today though. I'm glad to be back here again as I walked through the streets of South Bank in the windy, winter air.


Prior to my departure back to Brisbane, my sister warned me that the transition was the hardest. And she was right. I needed a few days to adjust and adapt again to the vastly different lifestyles I led in Brisbane and KL. I think it was a whole lot harder coming back from this holiday than the first time I left because the first time round, KL felt like reality and Brisbane was like an escape from reality, like a holiday. But now, going back to KL felt like the holiday while Brisbane feels like reality. It probably has to do with my whole mindset of the different places. Today I wish I could merge the two - KL and Brisbane. And then I wouldn't feel like I'm giving anything up. But of course, that's not possible.


I was wondering if I should continue with my gastronomic adventures in KL. And I've come to the conclusion that I should. This is largely due to the demise of Scarlett (my trusty, beloved camera). I don't know how it happened, but sometime during my transit from Sydney to Brisbane, Scarlett got wet and won't function properly now. I suspect it might have been the Nestea I put in my bag for a little while when I was boarding the plane. It might have spilled but nothing else in my bag is wet!!! I was so upset, words probably won't even begin to describe it. First of all, Scarlett was a present from my sister. Second, I really really REALLY loved my camera to bits and pieces. I liked how I could adjust most of the settings (flash, ISO, exposure etc.) But most of all, it was something that helped me to record memories, the things I wanted to remember, the moments I treasured and cherished. It's been a trusty companion for the past 2 and a half years, a constant in my bag wherever I went and now it's gone.


When I found my camera wasn't working on Thursday, my sister said my expression looked like someone had died. And I was thinking, of course, my camera died!! It's like a trusty friend was gone. Ah, Thursday was really quite an emo-nemo day for me. Anyway, it wasn't working at all on Thursday, I blow dried it using a hair dryer and put it under my study lamp to er.. sunbathe in hopes that all the stuff inside will dry up. Yesterday I could take pictures again but only pictures with no flash. Today I managed to take 2 flash pictures before Scarlett died on me again. Even if the flash miraculously restores itself, it won't ever be the same again. There's water stains on the screen now and keeps asking me to reset the date and time. Sigh.


So yeah, might as well share the last few good pictures my trusty camera took.

This was at Italiannies, MV after watching Eclipse. Their grape shakes and spinach and artichoke formaggio are a must try over there. However, the rest of the food kinda CMI wan. So yeah. Just trust me and order those only larh if you're ever there.

At Zen, Pyramid after a relaxing massage. Wanted to go to Sushi Zanmai but the line was wayyy too long and besides, it's apparently owned by the same company anyway, just pricier.

Tried out this pastry place on Jalan Delima in KL one of the days. It's called LeVain Boulangerie Patisserie and I highly recommend it if you're a fan of pastries and bread (Adele Wong, are you reading this?!) because theirs is home made and freshly baked. It was quite a satisfying meal. Tried their mushroom soup too and it was goooood. Parking there is a bitch though as they only have limited spaces in front of the shop. But the food and atmosphere totally make up for it!

Had hawker food with the primary school mates at Dataran Sunway before going back to Tropicana for alcohol and karaoke. The usual.

The girls are all red-faced because they split us into boy-girl teams and we lost really badly during the drinking games. Oh and Mirinda soda tastes really REALLY bad when mixed with Vodka. I didn't think that Vodka could ever taste bad but boy, was I wrong.

Finally made it to Golden Dragonboat with the cousins in tow to have my pomfret. It's the dish on the right? Mmm, my all time favourite fish next to cod.

At TGIF, MV having my favourite Cajun Fried Chicken Salad after watching Inception which by the way is probably one of the must-watch movies of the year. Good storyline, great casting, intriguing plot and they had some beautiful shots too.And of course the director is awesome.

After Pepper Lunch in Pyramid. I went to visit them on their first day of classes. The day was really epic and happy and fun-filled. It would have been a perfect day if we hadn't received such horrible news at night - that Mr.Ben had passed away.


Mr.Ben was one of my favourite lecturers in Monash. He taught Film and Television studies and he was one of the reasons that made my first year in university so enjoyable. I think back at all the time we spent in his office discussing assignments, listening to his stories, asking for his opinions; all of his tutorials in which he would lace with sarcasm and humour; all the times he's helped us with our assignments, offered words of encouragement, and I really felt a sense of loss. Life is short, and death is an inevitable path that everyone must face but I couldn't help feeling sad and shocked at his sudden death. I wish he'd had more time, more time for future students to experience his awesomeness and passion for the arts and film. But I know he was well-loved by all his students and friends and will be remembered as someone who inspired many of us. And really, how many of us can say we've touched so many lives in our short time on this earth?

Anyway, that day was really and epic one filled with funny one-liners, jokes and incidents.

For example:

Ea: Oooh, your bracelet is so pretty! It's sparkly! *touches the charms on my bracelet and then the clasp*
Oooh, what's this? Is this a musical instrument? *while holding on to the clasp of my bracelet*
Me: Er... No Ea, that's the clasp of my bracelet.
Jowee: *bursts into laughter*
Ea: Ohh! I thought it was a trombone!

Waitress, after we asked her to help us take a picture: 1... 2... SMELL!!!
Us: *burst into laughter*


Ea: *talking about Jowee's love life*
Me: *looking at Ea and then realizing I can see her ear through her tudung which fascinated me so I interrupted her*
Hey, I can see your ear!!! *while pointing at her ear*
Jowee, Ea and Wei-Lin: *looks at each other then bursts into laughter*


I think there were quite a few more funny ones but I can't remember them now. Suffice to say it was a very entertaining day!


Coincidentally met Yng there too! It was good seeing her. And I saw Wai Yee on the escalator and waved to her as well. I guess it was a good day for meeting people. :)

After Pyramid we adjourned to Shook! in Starhill for tea since my sister had a RM50 voucher. However, they were having a promotion for tea - RM3.60 for everything on the tea time menu from 3pm - 6pm so we couldn't use the voucher but it was really worth it anyway since it usually costs a bomb to eat at Shook!. So don't say I didn't share and go and take advantage of the promotion before it ends! I say go for the German sausage with mash and the SzeChuan Kung Po Chicken.

The walkway between Marriott and Starhill. Some China tourist holding a DSLR was making a fuss about how he couldn't capture all the lights on his camera. Hello, mine is not even a DSLR and I had no problem okay?! You can adjust all your settings and take so much more cooler shots than mine and because he doesn't know how to use it, he was complaining! My goodness, I swear these people don't deserve DSLRs. If you wanna get one, learn how to use it properly la! Wasting money man. I don't understand people who get DSLRs and refuse to learn how to use it properly and leave it on auto mode. What's the point then?! Meh.

Went for Shangri-la buffet for dinner because they have a promotion for all American Express card customers on a Monday. You get 50% off when two people eat. We split the bill so basically between the four of us, two of us ate for free! So worth it! I stuffed myself to the brim with salmon and desserts!


Oh and that's us holding up my new Gorillapod. I walked all over Lowyat looking for a Gorillapod (it's the official name okay!? It's called a Gorillapod) but nobody knew what it was until I described it as a tripod with flexible legs. Finally found it at Foto Shangri-la on the Ground floor for RM25. And then I went to KL Sentral the next day to apply for an Enrich Grad card (so I could get excess 10kg baggage allowance) and I saw a nicer coloured (black and orange. Mine is boring black and white) Gorillapod going for only RM20!!! LOWYAT CHEAT PEOPLE'S FEELINGS WAN!! Sigh. So if you guys are looking for Gorillapods, go to KL Sentral and get them okay? It's the stall outside the Enrich office, behind the check in counters. Seriously, who would think of going to KL Sentral to buy Gorillapods?! Not that it's much use anyway, since Scarlett pretty much died already. Ah well. I'm still upset. Meh.


Currently listening to - Crown of Age by The Ettes

Motherland.

So it's been exactly 12 days since I touched down in KLIA into the hot, humid and sweltering heat of Malaysia. I must say this surprise visit was executed pretty perfectly with only Kit Mun and Ka-Yee being kept out of the dark as it was necessary to tell them in order to coordinate our schedules to meet up. I wish I could have filmed everyone's reactions when they realized I was home. I felt so loved seeing/hearing everyone's "OMG, are you freaking kidding me?" voices/expressions. The best one has still got to be Mel's though. The girl was so oblivious even though she was right outside my house and Kit Mun had already hinted at my homecoming so many times! Needless to say, her reaction was epic when she saw me.



The other thing that surprised me actually, was that - WHY la you people don't check which number I'm calling you all from? I called a whole bunch of people and nobody suspected I was back home. It was quite amusing really. I even called Adele's house when she didn't pick up her phone and she didn't even suspect anything.



It was a good idea surprising everyone though. I don't think I will ever forget Wai Yee's shocked face when she saw me; or Kai Jie's blur-ness over the phone trying to figure out whose voice it was; or Jean who practically stopped in her tracks when she caught a glimpse of me. I've missed everyone dearly. And it really feels so good to be back.


These 12 days have been maximized to the fullest I think. I've ate SO much I dread the day I have to step on the scales again. *shudders* I once read that people can apparently figure out what kind of person you are by looking at the food you eat. If that's the case, I think the only thing that people will be able to figure out about me is that I am a glutton.


So, a quick summary of my gastronomic adventures since I've been back. Here goes!


Day 1 - Straight to the OUG market for Pork noodles after I touched down
Pasta Zanmai @ Pyramid with the girls for Kit Mun's farewell

I think we spent close to 3 hours there gossiping and catching up on each other's lives.
And dinner at the Gardens food court where I had my favourite Japanese ramen.

Day 2 - Pan mee for lunch
Marmalade @ Bangsar Village 2 for tea with Jowee and Wei-Lin while we waited for
Vicky's surprise party to begin

This was Wee's wrap and honey latte.


Dinner was Vicky's surprise farewell party at Delicious, BV. Hello Duck Confit Spaghettini and Caesar Salad! Oh, how I've missed you!!

Day 3 - I think I had more hawker food for lunch. Can't quite remember.
Little Penang @ MV for dinner which has the best Char Kuey Teow ever! Trust me,
after you've had that, all the other Char Kuey Teow pales in comparison.


Day 4 - Dim sum brekkie @ Jing Xuan, Kuchai Lama with the primary school bunch
Alexis @ Bangsar for lunch. The usual Penne Carbonara, Caesar salad, Iced Coffe and
Tiramisu. Heaven!
Sushi Zanmai @ MV for dinner. Affordable yet scrumptious sushi. Probably our
favourite Japanese restaurant of all time. Next to Rakuzen, which is owned by the same
company anyway so it doesn't really make a difference.

Day 5 - Lunch @ Lot10 foodcourt

I've never been to the Lot10 foodcourt coz I think it only opened after I left. Overall, it's a nice place to have hawker food in a nice atmosphere with air-con. Apparently some of the hawkers are the original ones from Petaling Street so it was quite authentic. The oyster omelette in my opinion was pretty good but my parents didn't really like it. Of course no oyster omelette can ever compare to the ones in Pandamaran where the omelette is crispy but hey, you have to make do right? Besides it's quite a hassle going all the way to Klang for oyster omelettes.

Hokkien mee which was superb! In fact this is the only Hokkien mee I've ever eaten that can compare to Road 29's Hokkien mee, which has hands down, the best Hokkien mee ever!

Rojak! The sauce was quite good.

Mou mou and I with all the food on the table. Quite the scary actually. In addition to the food above we had Kajang satay, Ice kacang, Lam mee and a coconut.

Dinner was Baskin Robbins! Ice-cream dinners make me so happy!

Day 6 - McD's for brekkie @ Parkson. Sausage egg McMuffin and hash browns!
Chicken chop and nasi lemak for lunch in Damansara coz I teman-ed my dad to do his
passport
Dragon-I @ MV for dinner. They have the best SzeChuan Dan Dan mee and Xiao Long
Baos! Their ribs are pretty good as well.


Day 7 - Rojak for lunch
Mummy's homecooked food for dinner


Day 8 - Lunch with Adele @ the Taiwanese restaurant opposite sushi Zanmai which I can't for
life remember the name of in MV. They have the most awesome cold noodles for only
RM9.80! The only problem with that restaurant is that there's ALWAYS a line outside
waiting to go in. Same with Sushi Zanmai larh.
Road 29, Sun Kam Kee for dinner


Day 9 - Pork noodles again for lunch if I'm not mistaken
Din Tai Fung for dinner. They have awesome fried rice and Japanese cucumber

Their toufu with century egg was quite good as well.

Aforementioned Japanese cucumber which I loved!

Day 10 - Crystal Jade @ MV for lunch
Homecooked food by mou mou for dinner


Day 11 - Homecooked century egg and salted egg porridge for lunch
La Bodega @ Bangsar for tea. If you're ever there the Sauteed button mushrooms
tapas and calamari with aioli are a MUST TRY. Never disappoints, those two. We also
had their Waffles with butter and honey and it was goooood. The waffles were fluffy!!
Dinner was at Unique Seafood in PJ.

They are famous for seafood as the name suggests. Usually we'll have their Clam Ginger soup, Steamed prawns, Barbeque Fish, Salted egg crabs, Two style Kailan, Fried and steamed cod, Mayonnaise Chicken etc.

And of course their Toufu too!

Supper was Pringles, Pods, Super Rings and Kampai while watching the World Cup finals with Jowee. Kancheong maximum. I'm just glad they didn't go into penalty shootouts. And I have decided Casillas is the best goalkeeper ever!!

Day 12 - Woke up at 1pm coz of yesterday's World Cup and had heong pang and Sugar cane
water. I think I'll go have a snack now before dinner!!


So, that sums up my 12 days since I've come home. *pats fat, round tummy*

Now you guys understand why I've grown sideways eh?
So I've shared most of my favourite restaurants here already. But still to come (hopefully I'll manage to fit them all in before I go back) Daorae Korean BBQ, Steven's Corner Roti Telur Bawang Cheese & Ribena Special, Pepper Lunch, Golden Dragonboat's pomfret fish and a Ramly burger.


In between all these gastronomic adventures, I've met up with friends, watched 5 movies in the cinema, catched up on old Sex and the City episodes, re-read Eclipse again in preparation to watch the movie this coming Wednesday, shopped (Zara sale anyone?!), spent time with family, got a haircut, attended a booksale, got my results and finished The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.


Life is good. :)

A sudden burst of...

"All our energy is spent for the purpose of getting what we want, and most people never question the premise of this activity - that they know what their true wants are. They do not stop to think whether the aims they are pursuing are something they themselves want.

In school they want to have good marks, as adults they want to be more and more successful, to make more money, to have more prestige, to buy a better car, to go to places, and so on.

However, if I do get this new job, if I get this better car, if I can take this trip - what then? What is the sense of it all? Is it really I who wants this? Am I not running after some goal which is supposed to make me happy and which eludes me as soon as I have reached it?

Therefore, man lives under the illusion that he knows what he wants, while he actually wants what he is supposed to want."


- Eric Fromm, Fear of Freedom (1955)

This was discussed in one of the lectures on discourse analysis during the semester. It struck a chord with me probably because I'm one of those people that are not really sure what they want. I mean, I know what I'm supposed to want, but what do I really want? If you think about it, there's really quite a difference between the two. Sometimes it feels like I've been disconnected with myself. I feel like an outsider looking in on my life and I don't really identify anymore. It's scary really.


I think I'm going to miss the clear, crisp air of winter. Oh, the irony.

Currently listening to - High Times by Landon Pigg and the Turbo Fruits

This I Promise You.

I hereby pledge to blog more often once exams are over.

If I don't, feel free to harass me online or in person about my blog.
(Not like you guys don't already, but I give you permission to up the intensity of your harassment)


In the meantime, you guys can check out Five Fashion Friends. Since we now have 6 girls working on that blog (after the addition of guest blogger Tee Jowee), it gets updated wayyy more often than this blog does.


Cheers!

The days are long, but the years are short.

It's Week 13 now, time really does gallop by, leaving me a little startled as I watch the dust gather behind it. It seems like yesterday I was boarding a plane, getting ready to begin another chapter of my life in Australia. And suddenly it's now, with my first semester of my second year in university coming to an end. I wish I was able to grasp time, make it into something tangible, something I can hold on to, even if it's just by the edge of the sleeves. But it always eludes me, and slips right through my fingers.


If you think about it, everyone laments about how long their day has been. Whether we sit in lecturer theaters, counting down the minutes till it ends; Or are at work, sitting at a desk staring at the blinding computer screen, watching the second hand of the clock trickle by so slowly, it starts to hurt watching it. It's true, the days always seem so long, filled with so many things to do, people to see, places to be at. So much so that we never notice how fast the days fly by until suddenly, we reach a milestone and discover that the days have indeed flitted past us, silently and stealthily. And we start to wonder where all those days went and how it could have passed us by like a speeding bullet train.

The days are long, but the years are short. In Jowee's words, truest.

The Truth About Forever.

Sometimes when I think of home, a flash of fear stabs me right in the heart. It's irrational and silly, but I am worried that if I go home, I'll find that I no longer belong there. Or here, for that matter. Then what does that leave me with when I'm in between worlds, spaces, homes and friends?


So much has happened since I've left. I'm afraid that the world has moved on, and everything is not as it used to be. And then there's me. Trying to figure out where I stand amidst all this constant change. Xin Yi jie once wrote that I am like a cockroach - easily adaptable and impossible to get rid of because I will never say die or give up. Not the most flattering of comparisons but she meant it in the nicest way. There are times when I think she's right, and there are others when I doubt myself. I fear change, the unknown and possibilities. How can I be easily adaptable when I fear all these things that are constant in life?


I dread the day I go home, to find that the places I used to know so well aren't the same anymore;to find out that the people and friends I know and love have changed so much that I have no idea what's going on in their lives anymore; but most of all, to find out that being home feels foreign instead. Too many pieces of my heart scattered about and left behind, it feels like it's impossible to collect all the pieces and make it whole again.


I probably won't feel this way tomorrow. Thank goodness.

La-La-Land.

I think one of the reasons why amusement parks are so popular with people of all ages is because they make you forget. For a few hours, a day even, the moment you step into an amusement park, you forget everything else except that you have to have fun. I think everyone becomes a kid again once they step into an amusement park.

It's a wonderful feeling really. All the things that are troubling, worrying or stressing you out fade away for a few hours. No thoughts about assignments or jobs, no worries about the problems and dramas of everyday life. Just pure, unadulterated joy of reliving childhood memories of fun, being captivated by all the attractions and rides, souvenirs and performances. Enjoying the adrenaline rush as you fly through the air upside down 5 times in a row. I wish we could feel that way everyday. I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I wish feelings like those could be collected in bottles. And every time we're in need of a pick-me-up, we could open those bottles and unleash all those feelings again.

Escapism. I think everyone needs a healthy dose of it from time to time. Be it in the form of amusement parks, or television series or just going to the movies. Everyone needs it.


The moment we stepped out of Movie World, my sister made a joke saying: "Uh-oh, everyone just put on 5 years on their age" and Umbrella Man continued by saying: "Yeah, I can feel all my wrinkles coming back!"

It was a joke. But that was how it really felt like. Ominous as it sounds, I could literally feel the weariness settle in my heart as we left. The crazy life of assignments, house chores, group work. Being a student is probably the easiest part of life. But still...

And it's not just walking out of amusement parks. It's seeing the family come and go. Having lots of people in our tiny apartment bustling about, taking turns to use the bathroom, watching TV and YouTube videos (Ahmet the terrorist, Auntie's failed reversing, Russell Peters), waking up in the morning and seeing everyone gathered at the breakfast table - to just you. You and an empty apartment.


I think I've forgotten how good writing feels. Not writing for assignments. Just writing from the heart. Greg is right - it is a form of release.

Into The Night...

Just another quick My-Life-In-Numerics again as I take this little breather in between this crazy period of assignments and presentations.



1. There is this absolutely ridiculous group on facebook named "My Sister Said If I Get 1 Million Fans She Will Name Her Baby Megatron' which everyone seems to be joining. I think they've all lost their senses, the lot of them. Why the eff would anyone want to name their kid Megatron? Can you imagine the poor kid's childhood? The amount of teasing he would get about his name from all the other kids in school? Can you imagine what would happen everytime the kids introduces himself? Or what if the kid grows up and enters the corporate world? I mean seriously, can anyone envision themselves saying to their potential employer: "Nice to meet you, I'm Megatron!" People would probably think it's a joke and go :"No seriously, what's your name?" Take that and multiply it by a million times and you get the life of that poor kid. And I'm operating under the assumption that the kid is a boy, what if it's a girl? Besides, why you name your kid after the evil, not-very-cool baddie in Transformers? If you reall wanted to, should've named him Optimus Prime. At least his transformer truck is cool and the kid can be known as Optimus. Better than Megatron right?



I'm really glad my parents were sensible and didn't give me funny names. Thank you mummy and daddy for giving me a name that actually has meaning and sounds good and not Tan Long Kang or Kleenex Tan or some other nonsensical name like that!




2. I went for a local stand-up comedy show the other day. One of my sister's friends was performing and he invited us along for free. :) Personally, I feel that stand-up comedy is one of the hardest things a person can do, or do well for that matter. The show we went to was called "Exit Laughing" and was performed by ordinary people who only did a 6 week course in stand-up comedy and had the guts to perform after that. It was pretty amazing, because most of the acts seemed so professional! I never knew you actually had to write out a script for stand-up comedy. I mean, obviously you have to have some sort of draft, but I never knew you needed a full-blown script coz it always seemed so conversational and easy-going. I guess half the hard work goes into making it seem conversational instead of a memorized script.


On another note, I think the best comedians are the ones who don't need to use a lot of swear words or sexual content in their jokes. I noticed much of the jokes revolved around swear words and sex. But I think, if you can make people laugh without having to put in those two elements, then you truly are a master!




3. I've noticed this about doing presentations in Aussie. The Aussies like to read from a piece of paper instead of present. Well, most of them did anyway. For the entire presentation, they basically just held a piece of paper in front of them and read it word for word. Tutors back home would have cut major marks for style of presentation. But I guess it's not as important here. *shrugs*




4. We had a guest lecturer talk to us for our International Journalism and Mass Comm. lecture this week about war/crisis reporting. I've never aspired to be a hard news journalist but I really admire those people that do. And even more so, those that would risk their lives just for a picture or a story to let people know what's going on in a particular country. Anyway, the guest lecturer showed us a short film he made on the dangers of foreign correspondants and journalists reporting from war-torn, conflict countries and it is really sad to hear about all the horrors they've encountered. Especially the ones about the landmines. They must have gone through traumatizing experiences just to try and publish news and inform the world. I also think it's really sad that, more journalists have died in the Iraq war compared to that of World War 2 and all the other wars before Iraq. It's probably because the terrorists groups target journalists to either kill them or hold them for ransom. But I don't understand... what do they hope to achieve by doing it? I mean, other than the money obviously, and the power they momentarily gain over a country as they videotape themselves beheading someone. But that's it. Human lives lost in order for you to make some stupid point about religion and politics. Is it worth it?

(wordboner.com)

I think that pretty much sums it up.

5. Watched Alice In Wonderland on Sunday (finally!) and thought it was awesome! Who knew the Mad Hatter could be such a knight when he wanted to be? However, I think wayy too much emphasis has been given on the clothes Alice wore in the Red Queen's castle. I thought it was pretty and ingenious but it wasn't my favourite outfit. My favourite outfit was actually the first one she wore after she shrunk. But to each his, or in this case, her own I guess.

6. I've noticed that people seem to like converting old curches into something else here in Brissie. For example, the Pancake Manor used to be a church and is now a 24 hour pancake shop. One of the only 24 hour restaurants in Brissie I might add. And this club I went to the other day called Magic City @ The Church was you guessed it! A former church. Oh the irony of converting a former church into a club. And don't get me started on the name Magic City... it sounds like a place where people go to do drugs or something! Like they go there and suddenly everything is whoop-de-doo MAGIC! 0_o Calling it The Church is wayyy cooler albeit ironic. The good thing about clubbing here is that smoking is NOT ALLOWED inside clubs, or restaurants for that matter. The way it should be. No more smelling like chimneys after dancing or getting accidentally stubbed by cigarettes! :D Oh, and there are wayyyy more hot guys (and hot girls too) in clubs here compared to back home! Eye candy FTW! ;)

7. Two more days till the parents, aunt, uncle and cousins touch down in Aussie! I am quite excited at the prospect of seeing them. Let's hope there's no family drama-ramas. Don't think I can deal with it anymore.

And there you have it! I must now get back to doing the laundry and vacuuming, so the place looks spick and span when mom arrives. Mustn't give her a reason to nag ma, right?! :P

Enjoy the Easter/ mid-sem break guys!