soccer's a... funny game.. seriously... let's see, shall we?
about the 75th min into Arsenal v Man Utd.. critical point near Utd's penalty box..
Theiry Henry's thought process as he nears the ball rolling towards the sidelines: goal kick to them... corner to me... goal kick to them... corner to me... goal kick to them... corner to me... goal kick to them... corner to me...
heck. goal kick to them.
my younger bro who watches on, a little stunned: french footballers. i'll never understand what they're thinking.
(at least it's better than jx comments abt sending droga back to africa in a cage while we were watching liverpool v chelsea. lub lub liverpool.)
rosicky whenever he gets the ball near mu's goal: one more to add to my off-target shots for the night. woohoo!
ok... i give henry and layman credit. they are good. i would have been happy with a draw, honestly. oh well, guess i'm just grateful for yday's match now.. good 'ol liverpool, and the two dear chelsea defenders, essien and ferrario!
Monday, January 22, 2007
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
seized by wanderlust once more. just looking at the pictures of the places that i've been to..
this was taken at ginza in tokyo. of all instruments, i think the violin is the most romantic of all.
komeda, their domestic airport. it was sample-haven. i had my lunch there rather unintentionally. but the counter staff were just so friendly. they gave me bigger portions of the samples. and lot of different samples. i ended up buying chocolate cheese cake squares even though i was soo full. but i just cldn't disappoint them.
being an amateur at photography, my photos are mainly simple stuff that, while, don't look too glam or professional, they bring back memories. like how the place smelt like.. how it sounded like.. how it felt like.. including whatever that was not captured by the camera.
Liuhe at Kaoshiong. i absolutely love the concept of night markets. there was so much to see. so much to eat! the lights. sure, the stores had the same things over and over again. but if you look hard enough, they will surprise you. at the end of Liuhe, we found a turkish trinklet store. owned by turks. the guy and his daughter were just so friendly.
Nai Cha Jie in Taizhong. the bubble tea was really good!! the milk was sweet but not cloying. plus hot bubble tea is always fantastic in the winter. the pearls weren't as big as those in Singapore but they weren't as small as those in Chun Tang in Taipei. supposedly to be the best in Taizhong. i know i enjoyed it even though my heart still lies with Chun Tang. and the rest of the street had small factory outlets. Gap.. A&F.. Hollister.. American Eagle.. Ralph.. nothing to buy though. it was all stocked for the winter and was still pricy.
my second time to taipei. this time alone. it was such a magical feeling, meeting strangers and unfamiliar faces.. finding my way in unknown streets. the euphoric rush of familiarity when i revisit places i went to on my first visit. i definitely wanna travel alone again. i honestly feel sympathetic to those who are afraid of being alone. it's fantastically liberating.
and there's always the romantic notion of falling in love with a stranger. =)
Melbourne. the one city i've fallen head over heels with in Australia. it reminds me sooo much of SF. the laidback charm and cool wind.. the friendly faces and cafes with comfort lattes and fries.. i wanna return. perhaps mummy will let me go alone. esp since aunty boon hong is there already.
it does seems such a pity that when i share the photos, i don't share the memories as well. but then again, that's what makes every little thing unique. just to me. =)
this was taken at ginza in tokyo. of all instruments, i think the violin is the most romantic of all.komeda, their domestic airport. it was sample-haven. i had my lunch there rather unintentionally. but the counter staff were just so friendly. they gave me bigger portions of the samples. and lot of different samples. i ended up buying chocolate cheese cake squares even though i was soo full. but i just cldn't disappoint them.being an amateur at photography, my photos are mainly simple stuff that, while, don't look too glam or professional, they bring back memories. like how the place smelt like.. how it sounded like.. how it felt like.. including whatever that was not captured by the camera.
Liuhe at Kaoshiong. i absolutely love the concept of night markets. there was so much to see. so much to eat! the lights. sure, the stores had the same things over and over again. but if you look hard enough, they will surprise you. at the end of Liuhe, we found a turkish trinklet store. owned by turks. the guy and his daughter were just so friendly.Nai Cha Jie in Taizhong. the bubble tea was really good!! the milk was sweet but not cloying. plus hot bubble tea is always fantastic in the winter. the pearls weren't as big as those in Singapore but they weren't as small as those in Chun Tang in Taipei. supposedly to be the best in Taizhong. i know i enjoyed it even though my heart still lies with Chun Tang. and the rest of the street had small factory outlets. Gap.. A&F.. Hollister.. American Eagle.. Ralph.. nothing to buy though. it was all stocked for the winter and was still pricy.my second time to taipei. this time alone. it was such a magical feeling, meeting strangers and unfamiliar faces.. finding my way in unknown streets. the euphoric rush of familiarity when i revisit places i went to on my first visit. i definitely wanna travel alone again. i honestly feel sympathetic to those who are afraid of being alone. it's fantastically liberating.
and there's always the romantic notion of falling in love with a stranger. =)
Melbourne. the one city i've fallen head over heels with in Australia. it reminds me sooo much of SF. the laidback charm and cool wind.. the friendly faces and cafes with comfort lattes and fries.. i wanna return. perhaps mummy will let me go alone. esp since aunty boon hong is there already.
it does seems such a pity that when i share the photos, i don't share the memories as well. but then again, that's what makes every little thing unique. just to me. =)
Monday, January 08, 2007
bad day for me so far. rather.. bad times..
dropped my darling nikon S2 yday. my heart dropped with it as well. the lens doesn't capture anything 'cept a black screen now.
this morning, went to Dr Tay at SGH. He's a senior consultant so he's pretty credible right? before i went into his room, i noticed the sign outside that requested for mobiles to be switched off. yet, i had to wait a couple of minutes while my dear doctor tinkled on his 2 blackberries before giving me his attention.
and he started examining my wrist. after pressing it to a painful ache, he declared that there might be fracture. at the rate he was pressing, i would like to think so. i'm not a screamer. my physiotherapist at SMC, Karen, always complained that she never knew if she was pressing hard enough 'cos i never made a noise. i winced at the table when Dr Tay was poking my wrist bone.
i went for the x-ray and had 4 angles of my wrist taken. so i was exposed to the radiation 4 times in less than 10 mins. while the doctor, his two interns and the nurse hid in a tiny booth. feeling very loved, i returned to Dr Tay.
Dr Tay scanned the images with me. the first two looked pretty normal cept that the protruding wrist bone looked a little funny. with the next two images, he showed me a minicus crack. minicus or not, it's still a crack. his words were a little hallow in my head.
"You see that? A very fine line. There's a crack."
he asked if i needed an medical excuse. from what??? PE??? i asked if i cld still exercise.
"No. We'll re-examine it again in one month's time. Meanwhile, no exercise."
yay.
feeling down, i called to see if ex-co meeting was over. it was but they were having a quick lunch. i then decided that i needed some time alone. with good food. took the train down to bugis and bought sashimi and sushi for lunch. not too bad. $9.50 in total. sashimi was $6.
when i got home, i thought that i needed to make the sushi cold first. more yummilicious. then i dropped my sushi box. all $3.50 of it. i was left with just sashimi for lunch. yay.
just to prepare myself, i have decided that my warranty of my camera is over even before i call them to verify it. there's only so much disappointment and dejection that a girl can take before she goes all jaded and subdued by life.
dropped my darling nikon S2 yday. my heart dropped with it as well. the lens doesn't capture anything 'cept a black screen now.
this morning, went to Dr Tay at SGH. He's a senior consultant so he's pretty credible right? before i went into his room, i noticed the sign outside that requested for mobiles to be switched off. yet, i had to wait a couple of minutes while my dear doctor tinkled on his 2 blackberries before giving me his attention.
and he started examining my wrist. after pressing it to a painful ache, he declared that there might be fracture. at the rate he was pressing, i would like to think so. i'm not a screamer. my physiotherapist at SMC, Karen, always complained that she never knew if she was pressing hard enough 'cos i never made a noise. i winced at the table when Dr Tay was poking my wrist bone.
i went for the x-ray and had 4 angles of my wrist taken. so i was exposed to the radiation 4 times in less than 10 mins. while the doctor, his two interns and the nurse hid in a tiny booth. feeling very loved, i returned to Dr Tay.
Dr Tay scanned the images with me. the first two looked pretty normal cept that the protruding wrist bone looked a little funny. with the next two images, he showed me a minicus crack. minicus or not, it's still a crack. his words were a little hallow in my head.
"You see that? A very fine line. There's a crack."
he asked if i needed an medical excuse. from what??? PE??? i asked if i cld still exercise.
"No. We'll re-examine it again in one month's time. Meanwhile, no exercise."
yay.
feeling down, i called to see if ex-co meeting was over. it was but they were having a quick lunch. i then decided that i needed some time alone. with good food. took the train down to bugis and bought sashimi and sushi for lunch. not too bad. $9.50 in total. sashimi was $6.
when i got home, i thought that i needed to make the sushi cold first. more yummilicious. then i dropped my sushi box. all $3.50 of it. i was left with just sashimi for lunch. yay.
just to prepare myself, i have decided that my warranty of my camera is over even before i call them to verify it. there's only so much disappointment and dejection that a girl can take before she goes all jaded and subdued by life.
Friday, January 05, 2007
finally listened to Ll Divo's version of "unbreak my heart". the wonders of youtube.com. i have to say that i didn't like it. i didn't even like toni braxton's original. i normally like toni's songs. heck, i even have that particular CD but my fave track is "How Could An Angel Break My Heart".
the only reason why i went listened to it was 'cos of the BP performance the other night. they performed their own version and Danny apologized to his wife. for dedicating it to her the previous night when she was in the recital studio.. and for singing it again on the night where we went. how bad was it?
Verse 1:
whenever i see your face, i want to vomit
doesn't matter what you did
doesn't matter what you say
i can't stand your voice, the way you walk
how you always scratch you-know-where
and if it is not enough, there's your nose hair
chart-topper stuff, courtesy of BP humor. you've gotta love them for entertainment value. i'm sooo dragging josh, thiang and bryan the next time BP has a concert. because i didn't talk much abt the concert before, here goes. they changed their version of "Tribute to Titanic". in the CD, it was a farm version. with the sound of cowbells and the southern twang..
at the concert, they did a star wars version. michael and gordon were just making me laugh as usual. and i'm reminded of the time i was laughing while michael attempted to be intimidating and was browbeating me. and ben agrees that danny looks like adam chen. minus the body and tan. (guessing abt the body. definite on the tan)
BP is my perpetual happy nut band. sure, clay aiken makes me smile. but i've never seen him 'live'. not that i wld pay to watch him 'live'. you know how damn expensive concert tickets are blue moo is the best thing to happen to entertainment at YMCA. when we go, we pay $8 and get 2 cowpons. each cowpon can be changed for either one drink or one pack of chips. and BP performs there most of the time.
the concert was better than the last one i paid for. the "We Give A Dam" concert. there weren't new songs! when i did the interview with BP (of which was never approved after that. too much of a verbatin interview..), they gave me free cowpons. i stayed for the first half and was treated to some new songs already.
the concert was filled with songs that i had yet to hear them perform. "unbreak my heart", "one way ticket", "Ai Piah Jia Eh Yia", the new version of "Tribute to Titanic" and a few others which they have performed before but not on the CD yet. hopefully "Love the Earth" will be on the CD in mid 2007. hopefully there will even be a CD in mid 2007.
Meanwhile, can someone lend me their copy of BP's "Nearly" Live At Blue Moo???
Chorus:
unbreak my heart
please don't come back again
undo this hurt that you caused when you walked thru the door
and walked into my life
uncry these tears
i cried so many nights
unbreak my heart
here's the clip on youtube for BP's version of "unbreak my heart", in response to Ll Divo's
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc9xZIJEvpc
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5byMDWabSi0
the only reason why i went listened to it was 'cos of the BP performance the other night. they performed their own version and Danny apologized to his wife. for dedicating it to her the previous night when she was in the recital studio.. and for singing it again on the night where we went. how bad was it?
Verse 1:
whenever i see your face, i want to vomit
doesn't matter what you did
doesn't matter what you say
i can't stand your voice, the way you walk
how you always scratch you-know-where
and if it is not enough, there's your nose hair
chart-topper stuff, courtesy of BP humor. you've gotta love them for entertainment value. i'm sooo dragging josh, thiang and bryan the next time BP has a concert. because i didn't talk much abt the concert before, here goes. they changed their version of "Tribute to Titanic". in the CD, it was a farm version. with the sound of cowbells and the southern twang..
at the concert, they did a star wars version. michael and gordon were just making me laugh as usual. and i'm reminded of the time i was laughing while michael attempted to be intimidating and was browbeating me. and ben agrees that danny looks like adam chen. minus the body and tan. (guessing abt the body. definite on the tan)
BP is my perpetual happy nut band. sure, clay aiken makes me smile. but i've never seen him 'live'. not that i wld pay to watch him 'live'. you know how damn expensive concert tickets are blue moo is the best thing to happen to entertainment at YMCA. when we go, we pay $8 and get 2 cowpons. each cowpon can be changed for either one drink or one pack of chips. and BP performs there most of the time.
the concert was better than the last one i paid for. the "We Give A Dam" concert. there weren't new songs! when i did the interview with BP (of which was never approved after that. too much of a verbatin interview..), they gave me free cowpons. i stayed for the first half and was treated to some new songs already.
the concert was filled with songs that i had yet to hear them perform. "unbreak my heart", "one way ticket", "Ai Piah Jia Eh Yia", the new version of "Tribute to Titanic" and a few others which they have performed before but not on the CD yet. hopefully "Love the Earth" will be on the CD in mid 2007. hopefully there will even be a CD in mid 2007.
Meanwhile, can someone lend me their copy of BP's "Nearly" Live At Blue Moo???
Chorus:
unbreak my heart
please don't come back again
undo this hurt that you caused when you walked thru the door
and walked into my life
uncry these tears
i cried so many nights
unbreak my heart
here's the clip on youtube for BP's version of "unbreak my heart", in response to Ll Divo's
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc9xZIJEvpc
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5byMDWabSi0
Saturday, December 30, 2006
festive periods are happy times.
but they are also times where the depressed just get more depressed. to see happy families and couples and all the ppl having fun when those down in the dumps aren't. it's proven. counsellors get more calls at periods like these.
could be the reason for my emo moment last night. i apologize to that very sweet friend of mine who tolerated my emo state and the words of kindness.
on hindsight, i would have coped better if i had a box of dark royce choc.
but the budak pantai concert before my emo state was amazing. there were new songs and i seriously even laughed at the old jokes. jeremy and ben were just rocking in their chairs with laughter. it was a fun night really.
new album, due in mid 2007... still waiting for Leap to come out in the theatres.. still in love with "Leap" by Budak Pantai..
Hey you
you with that fabulous smile
you with that gorgeous laughter
can i talk with you a while
hey you
you with that charming grin
you and your silly manner
i like to know your name
simple lyrics. simple tune.. but just so amazing. all the elements of sweet serenade. i seriously melted the first time i heard that song and Joe's earnest voice. they performed it again last night and i was just grinning while mouthing the words. too bad they didn't sing "Lover's Tears".. or "The Moon Represents My Heart"...
that wld have been the ultimate serenade for the night.
but they are also times where the depressed just get more depressed. to see happy families and couples and all the ppl having fun when those down in the dumps aren't. it's proven. counsellors get more calls at periods like these.
could be the reason for my emo moment last night. i apologize to that very sweet friend of mine who tolerated my emo state and the words of kindness.
on hindsight, i would have coped better if i had a box of dark royce choc.
but the budak pantai concert before my emo state was amazing. there were new songs and i seriously even laughed at the old jokes. jeremy and ben were just rocking in their chairs with laughter. it was a fun night really.
new album, due in mid 2007... still waiting for Leap to come out in the theatres.. still in love with "Leap" by Budak Pantai..
Hey you
you with that fabulous smile
you with that gorgeous laughter
can i talk with you a while
hey you
you with that charming grin
you and your silly manner
i like to know your name
simple lyrics. simple tune.. but just so amazing. all the elements of sweet serenade. i seriously melted the first time i heard that song and Joe's earnest voice. they performed it again last night and i was just grinning while mouthing the words. too bad they didn't sing "Lover's Tears".. or "The Moon Represents My Heart"...
that wld have been the ultimate serenade for the night.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
a couple of days ago, it was above 30 degrees in australia. yday, it snowed.
yes, australia is experiencing summer. there is snow in NSW and Victoria.
Snow in Australia (click to read article)
the one christmas miracle (read "miracle" article here) that the firemen were looking for to ease the burden of the bushfires. and it comes on christmas day, the day we remember the birth of our lord Jesus Christ.
things work out in ways we really never think possible.
Merry Christmas, Australia. i miss you.
yes, australia is experiencing summer. there is snow in NSW and Victoria.
Snow in Australia (click to read article)
the one christmas miracle (read "miracle" article here) that the firemen were looking for to ease the burden of the bushfires. and it comes on christmas day, the day we remember the birth of our lord Jesus Christ.
things work out in ways we really never think possible.
Merry Christmas, Australia. i miss you.
Melbourne Trip (Part 4.. and the last one too!)
20th Dec
we embarked on our Great Ocean Road (GOR) roadtrip on our free day. accompanied by aunty boon hong, we managed to get out of paying AUD$120 each to paying abt AUD$360 for 7 ppl for a more flexible tour.
our first stop was Geelong where the crazy sisters went for a 30min shopping rush before we stop at Lorne for some pictures by the beach. there were some ppl surfing and i longed to join them. hey, i really wanna learn how to surf but that's pretty pointless in singapore. it was freezing despite the fact that it was summer.
lunch was at apollo bay's seafood cafe where the fish and chips were s'posed to be the best in the town. there was such a wide range of fish but we settled for the butterfish, cod and barramundi after staring at the menu for quite a while. we then reached the twelve apostles just before 2 pm. ok, 11 apostles. one was weathered away.
we then headed for another area where there was more rock formation to look at. we got as far as the "blow hole" and the "thunder cave" before we made our way back to Melbourne. by the time we reached our hotel, it was 9pm. it was Nandos for dinner. fabulous chicken really.
21st Dec
our final destination before home was the Direct Factory Outlet (DFO). i lurve Jay Jay. bought a top, bag and shorts for AUD$40! and just the other day, i bought 2 dresses for AUD$12.50 each at the jay jay in chadstone. i saw this really nice dress for AUD$70 at Gripp Jeans but didn't buy it.
if i had the money and time in Melbourne, i think i would have wiped out jay jay, cotton on, gripp jeans, west co, jean west, hairspa and sportsgirl. absolutely fab, i tell you. we ended off the day with a dozen of krispy kreme to bring home. i *heart* krispy kreme. lurve lurve, i tell you.
mommy says i can migrate to Melbourne. as long as i get married. which means the guy must be ok with living in melbourne. hey, not that i mind. the melbourne guys are cute. yes, little superficial me.. but out of the all the cute guys, don't tell me that there's not one who's christian and able to lead me.
the weather's been good to us. it was low 20s in the morning and by noon, it'd be really cold! apparantly, it snowed on christmas! despite it being 31 degrees the day before.
*look around me*
shucks. somebody fly me back there!!!
20th Dec
we embarked on our Great Ocean Road (GOR) roadtrip on our free day. accompanied by aunty boon hong, we managed to get out of paying AUD$120 each to paying abt AUD$360 for 7 ppl for a more flexible tour.
our first stop was Geelong where the crazy sisters went for a 30min shopping rush before we stop at Lorne for some pictures by the beach. there were some ppl surfing and i longed to join them. hey, i really wanna learn how to surf but that's pretty pointless in singapore. it was freezing despite the fact that it was summer.
lunch was at apollo bay's seafood cafe where the fish and chips were s'posed to be the best in the town. there was such a wide range of fish but we settled for the butterfish, cod and barramundi after staring at the menu for quite a while. we then reached the twelve apostles just before 2 pm. ok, 11 apostles. one was weathered away.
we then headed for another area where there was more rock formation to look at. we got as far as the "blow hole" and the "thunder cave" before we made our way back to Melbourne. by the time we reached our hotel, it was 9pm. it was Nandos for dinner. fabulous chicken really.
21st Dec
our final destination before home was the Direct Factory Outlet (DFO). i lurve Jay Jay. bought a top, bag and shorts for AUD$40! and just the other day, i bought 2 dresses for AUD$12.50 each at the jay jay in chadstone. i saw this really nice dress for AUD$70 at Gripp Jeans but didn't buy it.
if i had the money and time in Melbourne, i think i would have wiped out jay jay, cotton on, gripp jeans, west co, jean west, hairspa and sportsgirl. absolutely fab, i tell you. we ended off the day with a dozen of krispy kreme to bring home. i *heart* krispy kreme. lurve lurve, i tell you.
mommy says i can migrate to Melbourne. as long as i get married. which means the guy must be ok with living in melbourne. hey, not that i mind. the melbourne guys are cute. yes, little superficial me.. but out of the all the cute guys, don't tell me that there's not one who's christian and able to lead me.
the weather's been good to us. it was low 20s in the morning and by noon, it'd be really cold! apparantly, it snowed on christmas! despite it being 31 degrees the day before.
*look around me*
shucks. somebody fly me back there!!!
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Melbourne Trip (Part 3)
19th Dec
an absolutely foodie day awaits me. we head for the Ashcrombe Maze. the rose maze wasn't much from far but upclose, each rose stood out in its own unique manner, be it the usual roses that you see in the stores to the wild roses with the different petals. the lavander labyrith smelt fantastic! the flower mazes were nice but the 7 tier waterfall was a disappointment..
not that it had intended i guess. melbourne's facing water shortage so they had to shut the system off. the chicken pie for lunch was really quite nice. dessert.. was.. funky.
after the maze, we headed to the strawberry farm. picking and eating, we really had quite a laugh esp when pop was stuffing his face so quickly that he burst out laughing and spit on yong and me. at the farm, we went quite mad and bought a semi-sweet strawberry wine and a strawberry port to go with the strawberry and even a chocolate dip.
our last stop was at cellar door for wine tasting. the first whites and reds weren't too nice. the moscanto was fab! sparkling, sweet and not too alcoholic with only 7% in it. i lurve it. we bought 6 bottles of it on the spot. yes, we're quite mad.
when we went back to the hotel, we decided to just have strawberries. not contended with just that, we bought 3 boxes of lord of fries. we ate so much i seriously felt sick.. then there was cheese and crackers and a whole bottle of moscanto. even the strawberries were dead sweet. plus the cherries and nectarines... amazing stuffed dinner.
need to cut back man... but i'm just soooo in love in Melbourne. (sorry, James!)
19th Dec
an absolutely foodie day awaits me. we head for the Ashcrombe Maze. the rose maze wasn't much from far but upclose, each rose stood out in its own unique manner, be it the usual roses that you see in the stores to the wild roses with the different petals. the lavander labyrith smelt fantastic! the flower mazes were nice but the 7 tier waterfall was a disappointment..
not that it had intended i guess. melbourne's facing water shortage so they had to shut the system off. the chicken pie for lunch was really quite nice. dessert.. was.. funky.
after the maze, we headed to the strawberry farm. picking and eating, we really had quite a laugh esp when pop was stuffing his face so quickly that he burst out laughing and spit on yong and me. at the farm, we went quite mad and bought a semi-sweet strawberry wine and a strawberry port to go with the strawberry and even a chocolate dip.
our last stop was at cellar door for wine tasting. the first whites and reds weren't too nice. the moscanto was fab! sparkling, sweet and not too alcoholic with only 7% in it. i lurve it. we bought 6 bottles of it on the spot. yes, we're quite mad.
when we went back to the hotel, we decided to just have strawberries. not contended with just that, we bought 3 boxes of lord of fries. we ate so much i seriously felt sick.. then there was cheese and crackers and a whole bottle of moscanto. even the strawberries were dead sweet. plus the cherries and nectarines... amazing stuffed dinner.
need to cut back man... but i'm just soooo in love in Melbourne. (sorry, James!)
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Melbourne Trip (Part 2)
18th Dec
the day started off with shopping in Chadstone. i love Oz fashion. and their range of hair products.. mind-blowing. i was content with just staring at the rows of products and not buying anything. pressed for time, we rushed through the place before finishing off with Krispy Kreme original glazed donut. magnificant stuff! the glazed devil's food looks terribly tempting but i controlled myself.
first touristy spot for the day was Warrook Farm. it was the usual stuff... feeding lambs and calves, milking cows, watching a sheep being sheared, watched sheep being herded by adorable border collies, feeding kangeroos and oh, more silly pictures naturally.
our next stop was this place called "A-mazing Things". a bit like ripley's corner 'cept it was full of brain teaser nonsensical stuff. it was a good laugh with more silly pictures. after that, we visited to the koala conservatory. those fat little things are absolutely lovely. and yes, teik picked up a dead gutted lizard because it was in a box that said "touch me!". idiot. i warned him against picking it up..
dinner was ok. we had half a lobster each. mind you, lobster. not crayfish. the bloody thing was huge even though it was half. i cldn't eat much rice. plus, i was getting a headache from the PRCs who were busy getting drunk and very noisy in the other table. quickly eating my food, i waited for the group outside the restaurant.
when pops came out, he was terribly displeased. so he started ranting abt the long queue at the guys' toilet. since when did queues form outside the gents? he then explained that two PRC aunties went into the gents and took donkey years. maybe they were experimenting with the urinal? whatever the case, they are disgusting. i saw one spit into the basin and she didn't even bother to wash it away!! ARGH!!!
our last stop was the freezing phillip island to see the penguin parade. after more silly photos in the shop, we headed towards the sea. photos aren't allowed 'cos the fairy penguins are very sensitive to bright flashes and they can be blinded by it. and the trick to getting upclose with the penguins is to walk along the boardwalk back to the main arena because that's where all their burrows are. you will be practically walking next to the birds.
despite the many warnings against photography, i saw a flash a little ahead of me when i was along the boardwalk. it was a stupid PRC auntie. i was seriously pissed off. i followed her for a little while. when she got all shifty eyed and whipped out her camera again, i approached her and told her that she wasn't allowed to take photos. she merely laughed it off and said she forgot.
Yar. and i'm a monkey's uncle.
she quickly shuffled off and i saw red. i approached the first ranger i saw (clearly distinguished by the green windbreaker) and told him to look out for the crazy PRC auntie who was blinding the penguin. he went off in the direction that i pointed him to after thanking me for stopping the auntie with a smile.
a very brilliant heart-melting smile. ^-^
the ranger was hot. sharp features, lovely big brown eyes that you can get lost in, typical boyish features. and no!! i didn't go to him purposefully!! i saw his back even before i saw his face, ok??
sidetracked. but yes, nothing against PRCs 'cept those who push, shove, lack manners, spit everywhere and anywhere, talk loudly even after repeated announcements that loud noises do startle the penguins, don't listen to instructions, smell funny, smoke everywhere 'cept designated smoking zones, talk to you as though you are 500 m away even though you're 50 cm away.. *-*
i know nice PRCs. but currently, it feels as though they are a minority. and in the words of teik in view of the whole situation after the day's tour.
"Their population needs thinning out."
anyhoo.. more photos..
is it a koala? continue scrolling down to other pictures for the answer...
18th Dec
the day started off with shopping in Chadstone. i love Oz fashion. and their range of hair products.. mind-blowing. i was content with just staring at the rows of products and not buying anything. pressed for time, we rushed through the place before finishing off with Krispy Kreme original glazed donut. magnificant stuff! the glazed devil's food looks terribly tempting but i controlled myself.
first touristy spot for the day was Warrook Farm. it was the usual stuff... feeding lambs and calves, milking cows, watching a sheep being sheared, watched sheep being herded by adorable border collies, feeding kangeroos and oh, more silly pictures naturally.
our next stop was this place called "A-mazing Things". a bit like ripley's corner 'cept it was full of brain teaser nonsensical stuff. it was a good laugh with more silly pictures. after that, we visited to the koala conservatory. those fat little things are absolutely lovely. and yes, teik picked up a dead gutted lizard because it was in a box that said "touch me!". idiot. i warned him against picking it up..
dinner was ok. we had half a lobster each. mind you, lobster. not crayfish. the bloody thing was huge even though it was half. i cldn't eat much rice. plus, i was getting a headache from the PRCs who were busy getting drunk and very noisy in the other table. quickly eating my food, i waited for the group outside the restaurant.
when pops came out, he was terribly displeased. so he started ranting abt the long queue at the guys' toilet. since when did queues form outside the gents? he then explained that two PRC aunties went into the gents and took donkey years. maybe they were experimenting with the urinal? whatever the case, they are disgusting. i saw one spit into the basin and she didn't even bother to wash it away!! ARGH!!!
our last stop was the freezing phillip island to see the penguin parade. after more silly photos in the shop, we headed towards the sea. photos aren't allowed 'cos the fairy penguins are very sensitive to bright flashes and they can be blinded by it. and the trick to getting upclose with the penguins is to walk along the boardwalk back to the main arena because that's where all their burrows are. you will be practically walking next to the birds.
despite the many warnings against photography, i saw a flash a little ahead of me when i was along the boardwalk. it was a stupid PRC auntie. i was seriously pissed off. i followed her for a little while. when she got all shifty eyed and whipped out her camera again, i approached her and told her that she wasn't allowed to take photos. she merely laughed it off and said she forgot.
Yar. and i'm a monkey's uncle.
she quickly shuffled off and i saw red. i approached the first ranger i saw (clearly distinguished by the green windbreaker) and told him to look out for the crazy PRC auntie who was blinding the penguin. he went off in the direction that i pointed him to after thanking me for stopping the auntie with a smile.
a very brilliant heart-melting smile. ^-^
the ranger was hot. sharp features, lovely big brown eyes that you can get lost in, typical boyish features. and no!! i didn't go to him purposefully!! i saw his back even before i saw his face, ok??
sidetracked. but yes, nothing against PRCs 'cept those who push, shove, lack manners, spit everywhere and anywhere, talk loudly even after repeated announcements that loud noises do startle the penguins, don't listen to instructions, smell funny, smoke everywhere 'cept designated smoking zones, talk to you as though you are 500 m away even though you're 50 cm away.. *-*
i know nice PRCs. but currently, it feels as though they are a minority. and in the words of teik in view of the whole situation after the day's tour.
"Their population needs thinning out."
anyhoo.. more photos..
is it a koala? continue scrolling down to other pictures for the answer...
Friday, December 22, 2006
Melbourne Trip (Part 1)
16th Dec
the plane takes off only at 9 pm. mentally calculating, i'm due to reach Melbourne in 7 hours. so that's abt 4 am? but.. melbourne is faster than singapore by 3 hours. so once i touch down, i'm off to the tour.
there's not much to entertain myself with on the plane 'cept the krisworld audio. forgot my mp3 player which is an absolute bummer. there's umizaru 2 so i can watch it. not much fun since i really preferred the first one because it was funnier. this is more action and only centers around Daisuke Senzaki and Kanna.
eye candy count? 1. this Jap looking dude. i'm hopeless. haiz
17th Dec
It's a long long day of little sleep for me. once we touched down, i headed for the coach, intending to knock out before our first stop. instead, i was wide-eyed as the driver drove towards the city, in the direction of St Patrick's Cathedral. after a few morning shots at the Cathedral, we headed to Fitzroy Garden then to Queen Victoria Market before we ended at our lunch destination.
Melbourne's a charming place of old and new, city and country. it's a nice in-between of Perth and Sydney. I've fallen in love with it on my first day there. Queen Victoria ("QVM") has the loveliest nectarines of shades of a young girl's blush in the golden sun. they are fantastically sweet and the cherries just the juiciest and sweetest because they are just so fresh. even the prima donna cheese (aged cheddar) at QVM is fantastic on crackers.
the ppl are friendly and eye candy count has busted. i stopped counting and just enjoyed the sights of pretty sea of green, blue and brown smiling eyes nearly wherever i went.
funny thing happened at QVM though. Sis and i headed to a cafe for a morning perk-me-upper. i went for a hot chocolate and sis decided on her usual Machiatto. so she ordered with a sweet looking asian girl.
"Machiatto to go, please."
"Cappucino," the girl smiled and nodded.
"No no, Machiatto."
"Cappucino?"
Sis was flustered. the Italian guy making the coffee looked up and Sis ordered directly from him. with a, "Ah! Machiatto", he prepared it for her. for a minute, i was wondering if Sis was being difficult. when i looked at the coffee board, they had Machiatto. standard of any cafe, really. we had a laugh abt it after that.
After lunch, we headed back to the hotel finally to rest. watching a couple of movies, we headed out for dinner at the dragonboat restaurant before resting for the day. once our tour guide, victor, mentioned "dragonboat", my family turned to smile at me. yes. i love them too. haiz
photos!
Us fooling around at fitzroy garden
16th Dec
the plane takes off only at 9 pm. mentally calculating, i'm due to reach Melbourne in 7 hours. so that's abt 4 am? but.. melbourne is faster than singapore by 3 hours. so once i touch down, i'm off to the tour.
there's not much to entertain myself with on the plane 'cept the krisworld audio. forgot my mp3 player which is an absolute bummer. there's umizaru 2 so i can watch it. not much fun since i really preferred the first one because it was funnier. this is more action and only centers around Daisuke Senzaki and Kanna.
eye candy count? 1. this Jap looking dude. i'm hopeless. haiz
17th Dec
It's a long long day of little sleep for me. once we touched down, i headed for the coach, intending to knock out before our first stop. instead, i was wide-eyed as the driver drove towards the city, in the direction of St Patrick's Cathedral. after a few morning shots at the Cathedral, we headed to Fitzroy Garden then to Queen Victoria Market before we ended at our lunch destination.
Melbourne's a charming place of old and new, city and country. it's a nice in-between of Perth and Sydney. I've fallen in love with it on my first day there. Queen Victoria ("QVM") has the loveliest nectarines of shades of a young girl's blush in the golden sun. they are fantastically sweet and the cherries just the juiciest and sweetest because they are just so fresh. even the prima donna cheese (aged cheddar) at QVM is fantastic on crackers.
the ppl are friendly and eye candy count has busted. i stopped counting and just enjoyed the sights of pretty sea of green, blue and brown smiling eyes nearly wherever i went.
funny thing happened at QVM though. Sis and i headed to a cafe for a morning perk-me-upper. i went for a hot chocolate and sis decided on her usual Machiatto. so she ordered with a sweet looking asian girl.
"Machiatto to go, please."
"Cappucino," the girl smiled and nodded.
"No no, Machiatto."
"Cappucino?"
Sis was flustered. the Italian guy making the coffee looked up and Sis ordered directly from him. with a, "Ah! Machiatto", he prepared it for her. for a minute, i was wondering if Sis was being difficult. when i looked at the coffee board, they had Machiatto. standard of any cafe, really. we had a laugh abt it after that.
After lunch, we headed back to the hotel finally to rest. watching a couple of movies, we headed out for dinner at the dragonboat restaurant before resting for the day. once our tour guide, victor, mentioned "dragonboat", my family turned to smile at me. yes. i love them too. haiz
photos!
Us fooling around at fitzroy garden
yes, my sister is crazy. but i still love her..
Queen Victoria Market
More photos and updates tomorrow. and i'll try to upload the photos soon! just need to sort them out first...
Sunday, December 10, 2006
back from the cruise. my apologies to those who have not seen me online for such a long time. didn't mean to make all of you miss me.. ahaha. joking
the cruise was.. hmm.. beyond words. on the first day, i was still affected by all that had happened over the one week after the exams. overwhelming time for me to have so many small little things bug me. and the food on the cruise is all very. salty. and it didn't help that my family was eating the ship broke..
and my nutty family believes in second lunch and second dinner.. and supper. i was just eating bread all the way. there's smth abt buttered bread, be it rye or plain, and hot tea that keeps me happy. that little brit nut perhaps? oh well. i skipped supper on the last night. i was tired but that didn't stop me from waking up a couple of times.
the second day, i just lazed around, read my book and bible.. absolutely relaxed the entire day and keep all distractions away from going back to what that truly mattered to me.. God. really wanted to come clean with God. i lost sight of Him during the exam period and it just felt depressing at the end of it. but now that's over, i have to make sure that i don't lose sight anymore.
i got a tattoo.. a fake one naturally.
can't think of putting myself thru the pain of a real one. think i'd go quite mad from the needles. oh well. can't really think of anything else to add abt the trip. i'll let the pictures do the talking. :)
walking to the boat
on the deck on the second day with yong.
is it just me or does it look like a scene from loveboat?
the cruise was.. hmm.. beyond words. on the first day, i was still affected by all that had happened over the one week after the exams. overwhelming time for me to have so many small little things bug me. and the food on the cruise is all very. salty. and it didn't help that my family was eating the ship broke..
and my nutty family believes in second lunch and second dinner.. and supper. i was just eating bread all the way. there's smth abt buttered bread, be it rye or plain, and hot tea that keeps me happy. that little brit nut perhaps? oh well. i skipped supper on the last night. i was tired but that didn't stop me from waking up a couple of times.
the second day, i just lazed around, read my book and bible.. absolutely relaxed the entire day and keep all distractions away from going back to what that truly mattered to me.. God. really wanted to come clean with God. i lost sight of Him during the exam period and it just felt depressing at the end of it. but now that's over, i have to make sure that i don't lose sight anymore.
i got a tattoo.. a fake one naturally.
can't think of putting myself thru the pain of a real one. think i'd go quite mad from the needles. oh well. can't really think of anything else to add abt the trip. i'll let the pictures do the talking. :)
walking to the boat
on the deck on the second day with yong.
is it just me or does it look like a scene from loveboat?
morning of the third day. breaktaking, ain't it?
for more pictures, check out my photo gallery at yahoo (here: http://photos.yahoo.com/nookweis/). and oh, yes.. camp pictures are up there as well.. or will be soon enough.. i'm blogging as i upload lah.. hee hee.
Friday, December 08, 2006
it's been a whirlwind dec camp for me.
we had the honor of having Robin teach us from Hebrews, our theme being supreme worship. Robin is a really nice guy. i had the chance to chat with him and he earnestly challenged me. gave me issues to think abt which i will touch on later. and you can see his heart for the gospel in the group chats that he has with everyone.
sure, he pokes fun at me during the talks but in ways that no one would understand unless they've heard the coversations i've had with him during the camp, be it over lunch or in a big group while sitting around. but i give thanks for the reminder of God's word through the very animated and faithful Robin.
the camp was an overall great time as always in terms of the building of Christ's church, be it thru forming tighter bonds or growing in the word. i didn't get to talk to the exco girls as much as i wld have liked to, but i got to talk to suyin, dorcas, evan and elaine a lot more than i would normally have. we were all growing in our understanding of Hebrews together. how fantastic is that?
on the downside, the issues that i've face this camp were a lot more. Robin challenged me with coming out to my Dad abt the fact that i'm Christian. by thursday morning, it overwhelmed me so much. joshua was leading songs and his second song, "heart of worship" hit me soooo badly that i started to cry. thankfully, i was sitting at the side so no one really noticed.
when joshua got to his last song "You laid aside Your majesty", i decided to step out to compose myself. but once i did, i broke down even more. James, on his way to the toilet, saw me and beckoned me to step out for a while. i shared with him the issue of my dad and really cldn't stop crying.
i'm crying because of the pressure that's on me as to whether i tell him or not. God saves by faith, doesn't He? but it's hard to find comfort with conflicting pressures from everyone. right now as i think abt it, i guess i was hoping for just someone to tell me that they've been encouraged by the tenacity.. by my passion for the gospel despite the struggle. no one has done that. and now if they do that, i'll wonder if they are merely saying it because it's on my blog..
and not because they mean it and see it in my life which would then turn out to be false to me.
when i returned to the talk by Robin, i was soo terribly distracted. things that may seem trivial to ppl do affect me very badly. it's just in my nature to be affected. i try not to affect ppl around me but i find it hard to control the impact that things have on me.
during the bbq, i struggled with whether i shld stay over or not. i wanted to go home with suyin to keep talking to her. i've heard that she felt lonely and didn't really have many friends in CF. i tried to make her feel welcomed the entire night but cldn't decide on staying. so out of playfulness, i asked gabe to make the decision for me. he told me to stay for the night.
yet, i struggled with staying as i watched and spoke to suyin. when i went to the rooms to look for felicia, i found fel with lydia. rather quickly, esther ran up looking for lydia because "(lydia's) friend" was just there.. and immediately, i decided to go home with suyin. so i packed my bags.
when it was time to go, everyone else kicked up a big fuss. whether they meant it or out of childish ribbing, it affected me badly. david tried to take my bag out of the car and get me out of the car. dennis started squirting water at the car. and the worst part, i thought i heard them use the title of "vice president" against me. at that split second, i was struck by a thought.
"if being vice president meant staying all the way during the camp with ppl that i'm familiar with and not leaving with ppl who might need a friend or two a little more... i will give up my leadership position. as vice president and as an assistant group leader. to just be a normal member."
and while we laughed in the car after that, the guilt ate me up so quickly that by the time i reached the mrt, i was writhing inside, dying away that it was sooo hard to please everyone. was i pleasing God by leaving the rest at the chalet while i went home with suyin? i smiled and acted normal but inside me was more turmoil added to the morning's problem. (btw, i'm still convinced by my thought.. that if my man-created position is a distraction from doing what i discern is wisest for the ministry in the gospel's perspective, i will give up that position.. be it a job or even a title in the ministry like vice president.)
when suyin got off at the stop before mine, gabriel asked her if she would be going for the christmas party, she said she would try to make it. when i had asked her during the bbq before i talked to her more, she just smiled politely at me without really answering. seeing her warm up a lot more made me really glad. i immediately smsed fel who then provided me with another bit of good news with regards to the smth else we've both been concern abt. i smsed steph my good news and told her to pray for it all.
i had to call dennis. he had put in sooo much effort and sacrificed so much. but he didn't pick up the phone so i left a "missed call". when he called back later, i was unable to thank him properly because he told me not to do so.. and the reason he gave affected me. after hearing his reason for me to not thank him, i thanked him anyway. his reason had nothing to do with why i wanted to thank him.
but once i put down the phone, i burst into tears. the whole day of accumulated issues that may seem small affected me really badly. like i said, it's just my character. i took a shower in hopes of calming myself down so that i would be able to rest for the night.. but it didn't work. so i shared it with da ge, hoping that getting it off my chest would ease it a little. instead, i cried again, terribly awake from the overload.
i'm an absolute emotional nut. and i'm not ashamed of it. as long as i don't affect the ppl around me and as long as ppl know that it's just my character.. i'm praying that writing all this on my blog will allow ppl to not panic when i suddenly break down and also that they will realized even things that are done in jest and without ill-intention does kill me.
so don't bring me down or make me feel bad then tell me that you "didn't mean it". 'cos you can convince me until the cows come home and go out again, i will be affected by it because i know that there is a probability of the fact that i'm an absolute ass and disgrace to the ministry being true. conversely, if you are really upset with me, don't get even more upset because i break down. it's my own personal coping mechanism when i'm very very affected by smth.
i need rest. really.
we had the honor of having Robin teach us from Hebrews, our theme being supreme worship. Robin is a really nice guy. i had the chance to chat with him and he earnestly challenged me. gave me issues to think abt which i will touch on later. and you can see his heart for the gospel in the group chats that he has with everyone.
sure, he pokes fun at me during the talks but in ways that no one would understand unless they've heard the coversations i've had with him during the camp, be it over lunch or in a big group while sitting around. but i give thanks for the reminder of God's word through the very animated and faithful Robin.
the camp was an overall great time as always in terms of the building of Christ's church, be it thru forming tighter bonds or growing in the word. i didn't get to talk to the exco girls as much as i wld have liked to, but i got to talk to suyin, dorcas, evan and elaine a lot more than i would normally have. we were all growing in our understanding of Hebrews together. how fantastic is that?
on the downside, the issues that i've face this camp were a lot more. Robin challenged me with coming out to my Dad abt the fact that i'm Christian. by thursday morning, it overwhelmed me so much. joshua was leading songs and his second song, "heart of worship" hit me soooo badly that i started to cry. thankfully, i was sitting at the side so no one really noticed.
when joshua got to his last song "You laid aside Your majesty", i decided to step out to compose myself. but once i did, i broke down even more. James, on his way to the toilet, saw me and beckoned me to step out for a while. i shared with him the issue of my dad and really cldn't stop crying.
i'm crying because of the pressure that's on me as to whether i tell him or not. God saves by faith, doesn't He? but it's hard to find comfort with conflicting pressures from everyone. right now as i think abt it, i guess i was hoping for just someone to tell me that they've been encouraged by the tenacity.. by my passion for the gospel despite the struggle. no one has done that. and now if they do that, i'll wonder if they are merely saying it because it's on my blog..
and not because they mean it and see it in my life which would then turn out to be false to me.
when i returned to the talk by Robin, i was soo terribly distracted. things that may seem trivial to ppl do affect me very badly. it's just in my nature to be affected. i try not to affect ppl around me but i find it hard to control the impact that things have on me.
during the bbq, i struggled with whether i shld stay over or not. i wanted to go home with suyin to keep talking to her. i've heard that she felt lonely and didn't really have many friends in CF. i tried to make her feel welcomed the entire night but cldn't decide on staying. so out of playfulness, i asked gabe to make the decision for me. he told me to stay for the night.
yet, i struggled with staying as i watched and spoke to suyin. when i went to the rooms to look for felicia, i found fel with lydia. rather quickly, esther ran up looking for lydia because "(lydia's) friend" was just there.. and immediately, i decided to go home with suyin. so i packed my bags.
when it was time to go, everyone else kicked up a big fuss. whether they meant it or out of childish ribbing, it affected me badly. david tried to take my bag out of the car and get me out of the car. dennis started squirting water at the car. and the worst part, i thought i heard them use the title of "vice president" against me. at that split second, i was struck by a thought.
"if being vice president meant staying all the way during the camp with ppl that i'm familiar with and not leaving with ppl who might need a friend or two a little more... i will give up my leadership position. as vice president and as an assistant group leader. to just be a normal member."
and while we laughed in the car after that, the guilt ate me up so quickly that by the time i reached the mrt, i was writhing inside, dying away that it was sooo hard to please everyone. was i pleasing God by leaving the rest at the chalet while i went home with suyin? i smiled and acted normal but inside me was more turmoil added to the morning's problem. (btw, i'm still convinced by my thought.. that if my man-created position is a distraction from doing what i discern is wisest for the ministry in the gospel's perspective, i will give up that position.. be it a job or even a title in the ministry like vice president.)
when suyin got off at the stop before mine, gabriel asked her if she would be going for the christmas party, she said she would try to make it. when i had asked her during the bbq before i talked to her more, she just smiled politely at me without really answering. seeing her warm up a lot more made me really glad. i immediately smsed fel who then provided me with another bit of good news with regards to the smth else we've both been concern abt. i smsed steph my good news and told her to pray for it all.
i had to call dennis. he had put in sooo much effort and sacrificed so much. but he didn't pick up the phone so i left a "missed call". when he called back later, i was unable to thank him properly because he told me not to do so.. and the reason he gave affected me. after hearing his reason for me to not thank him, i thanked him anyway. his reason had nothing to do with why i wanted to thank him.
but once i put down the phone, i burst into tears. the whole day of accumulated issues that may seem small affected me really badly. like i said, it's just my character. i took a shower in hopes of calming myself down so that i would be able to rest for the night.. but it didn't work. so i shared it with da ge, hoping that getting it off my chest would ease it a little. instead, i cried again, terribly awake from the overload.
i'm an absolute emotional nut. and i'm not ashamed of it. as long as i don't affect the ppl around me and as long as ppl know that it's just my character.. i'm praying that writing all this on my blog will allow ppl to not panic when i suddenly break down and also that they will realized even things that are done in jest and without ill-intention does kill me.
so don't bring me down or make me feel bad then tell me that you "didn't mean it". 'cos you can convince me until the cows come home and go out again, i will be affected by it because i know that there is a probability of the fact that i'm an absolute ass and disgrace to the ministry being true. conversely, if you are really upset with me, don't get even more upset because i break down. it's my own personal coping mechanism when i'm very very affected by smth.
i need rest. really.
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