My Life... My Thoughts... My World...

Maple ScreenShots

2006-10-06T17:26:00.000+10:00

The 1500s

2006-08-20T19:31:00.000+10:00

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be.... Here are some facts about the 1500s:

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children - last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."

Houses had thatched roofs - thick straw, piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the dogs, cats and other small animals (mice rats, and bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof, hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs."

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could really mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt, hence the saying "dirt poor."

The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they kept adding more thresh until when you opened the door it would all start sliding outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entryway, hence, "a threshold."

They cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes the stew had food in it that had been there for quite awhile - hence the rhyme, "peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old."

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man "could bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat."

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with a high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning and death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Most people did not have pewter plates, but had trenchers, a piece of wood with the middle scooped out like a bowl. Often trenchers were made from stale paysan bread which was so old and hard that they could use them for quite some time. Trenchers were never washed and a lot of times worms and mold got into the wood and old bread. After eating off wormy moldy trenchers, one would get "trench mouth."

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or "upper crust."

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock them out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up, hence the custom of holding a "wake."

England is old and small and they started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a "bone house" and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, one out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they thought they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the "graveyard shift") to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be "saved by the bell" or was considered a "dead ringer."

Taken from Ho Nam's blog... and of course with permission, ok!!!

fire!!!!

2006-08-19T14:42:00.000+10:00

Fire at Ang Mo Kio flat causes residents to evacuate
By Hasnita A Majid, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 17 August 2006 2239 hrs

A fire at the 10th floor unit of a flat at Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 caused residents on surrounding floors to be evacuated.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force received a call at about 8.20pm Thursday and arrived at the scene within seven minutes.

Plumes of smoke could be seen coming from the flat's bedroom where the fire was believed to have started.

Officers had to force open the door of the flat as there was no one at home.

Residents from the 8th to the 12th floor at Blk 556 had to evacuate.

The fire was put out in 20 minutes. - CNA/ir

Most of the time when U see articles like these, U never thought that it would never happen to U, Ur relatives or frens. Unfortunately, I can't say that this time.

Below are actual photos...

Still smoking

Smoke Damage

Damage

The Living Room

Not too badly damaged

The origin

Totally gutted

'Scars' of the night...

I can't tell the extent of the fire damage but 20 mins of putting out the fire would have caused extensive water damage... for sure!

*update - Only one room suffered in this tragedy. The rest is smoke and water damage. It may sound like a small deal to some but not according to the other photos. Smoke & water damage affected the entire home and it seems to be quite a costly repair.

To see a home destroyed like that is heart-wrenching. To have to pick up the pieces is tedious. To rebuild a home, strength.

At the time of the fire, they whole family was out for dinner. Now, was that a lucky thing? or not? Lucky that no one was caught in the flames? Or unlucky that no one was home to put out the blaze before it got to this?

Before the fire, he was sending a file to me, when suddenly the connection dropped. I waited to see if MSN would re-connect (as it usually does) but it didn't this time round. I thought of sending an SMS to let him know but decided against it as I didn't want to disturb his dinner with something so trivial.

A part of me wondered if my SMS would have made a difference but he assured me that it would not. Deep down, I know that too but somehow I feel... wished that I could have done something...

I am thankful that no one was hurt and that his hammies are all safe and sound.

Bear bear, I am sorry that such a tragic event has happened. Please be strong ya? Know that life will always have its ups and downs. At least when we are down, we have the ups to look forward to.

For every darkness in your life, there is always a bright star looking for U...

Technorati Tags: blog, ang mo kio, fire, singapore

你是我最深爱的女人

2006-08-17T14:51:00.000+10:00

你是我最深爱的女人 歌手：永邦
爱上了一个人
能够为她牺牲
就算付出了生命
我甘心为了你

两个人在一起
分享爱的命运
永远都不会忘记
我们生活点滴

你是我最深爱的女人
你有最美丽的嘴唇
你拥有最动人的眼神
你带给我幸福和快乐

我是你最深爱的男人
我的爱绝对是永恒
做什么都值得
爱上了一个人

童话

2006-08-16T22:16:00.000+10:00

童话歌手：光良

忘了有多久

再没听到你

对我说你最爱的故事

我想了很久

我开始慌了

是不是我又做错什么

你哭着对我说

童话里都是骗人的

我不可能是你的王子

也许你不会懂

从你说爱我以后

我的天空星星都亮了

我愿变成童话里

我要变成童话里

我会变成童话里

你爱的那个天使

张开双手

变成翅膀守护你

你要相信

相信我们会像童话故事里

幸福和快乐是结局

一起写我们的结局

sorry...

2006-08-15T20:33:00.000+10:00

Took this off Sam's blog. It is a little story that made me the 1st time I read it, the 2nd and the 3rd...

SORRY....
It was first day of the mid-year exams, therefore i finished school a little earlier, i called him,:Hey, i finished school earlier today, would you come by and pick me up?

:Alright, give me 5 minutes.
:5 minutes? But my school is just beside your house.
:I need to get ready.
:Alright, make it fast then.

2pm in the afternoon, the sun is extremely hot, I stood under a shady tree and fanned myself. Although it doesn't make much of a difference, it was better that I fanned. 5 minutes have passed, he's still not shown up, I was a lil' unhappy while looking at my watch. 10 minutes and he's still not here....couldn't be that he was met with an accident? 15 minutes passed, he finally shown up.

:Why are you so late?
He wasn't even a lil' bothered: Nahz, was watching TV.
:What?! TV?! Why don't you sleep, bathe and eat before you come down then?
I haven't got anything else to say for that, didn't take the helmet he handed me but stood there and stared at him.
:Sorry.

This was the first time he said sorry to me...
He is an egoistical person all along and has never once apologised to a girl.
I looked at him, Alright, took the helmet and let him sent me home.
He is always acting like this, no explanations, no friction, no quarrels.
The only thing he does is to apologise. To me, somethings can't be settled with a sorry.
I would never go on asking after everytime he apologises.
He told me, that was the first time he said sorry to a girl.
Although it take courage to admit mistakes, he never once correct his mistakes.
Saying sorry became a word to shut me up instead.
Tears flowed down my cheek on the 59th time he apologised.
I dropped my head: you don't ever need to say sorry to me again.
If you can never change, then don't let me keep giving you chances again and again hoping and believing that you would change each time.
He held me lightly, and said the 60th sorry.
Even then, he did not change, and there was no explanation whatsoever.
I began to worry if there was something he was keeping from me.

:What's wrong with you these few days?
:Nothing.
:Then why are you acting so strange?
:I am not.
:What can you say other than this answer?
:Do you know I'm very woried, very insecure,
do you treat me as your girlfriend?
:I'm sorry...
:I don't want to hear you say sorry again.

I put down the phone and he did not call back.
He doesn't even care about me. Maybe we should....break up.

....this was the 99th time he said sorry...

From that day onwards, I never once called me or went to look for him.
Sometimes I get an anonymous phonecall
but everytime I said hello, it was dead, i think it's a call from him, but why don't he speak up?
After one month have passed, I couldn't contain the feelings I still have for him anymore and went to his school to find him.
I went outside his classroom and looked around, but there was no sign of him.

:excuse me, is XOXO here today?
:I'm afraid he already stopped schooling.
:Huh? Why? When was that?
:He hasn't been in school for a month already.
:Oh erms...thanks.

One month....not in school for one month...why is that so? I stumbled home.
Called his hp: Sorry the caller is currently unavailable, please leave your message after the tone....
I put down the phone, and called his house next, but there was no answer.
How can it be? The whole family migrated?
It seems as though he has already disappeared from the face on the earth leaving not even a single trace.
I couldn't find him....just as I was feeling distraughted, the phone suddenly sounded, it was my friend.
He was one of his brothers and also my good friend.

:Hey, what have you been doing? XOXO is in hospital.
:REALLY? WHAT HAPPENED?
:Oh he is in ZZ hospital, the one you stayed in last time.
:I'll be right there.

I used the fastest speed my legs could carry and when I reached the hospital I saw that his parents were already there.
I asked them for the room number and flew across the hall.
He was lying on bed, looking at me, not saying a word, not moving a muscle,

:Hey, what happened to you? Why didn't you contact me?
He did not answer, and used the same stare on me again.
:Come on answer me...why don't you speak?
A tear flowed down the side of his eye, and it looked as though he used the greatest amount of strength that he could master to say...
:I'm...sorry...
After that, his eyes went shut.
:Hey, don't fool around alright...why say sorry to me?
:Don't say sorry to me....please wake up....answer me please.
I wept and fell down on the side of his bed, pulling his shirt I cried out..
:Why do you have to apologise? Why don't you give me an explanation instead?
:I won't forgive you, wake up, saying sorry is no use...
:If you don't wake up I'll never ever forgive you in this lifetime, please I beg of you..open your eyes.....

That was the 100th sorry
A group of medical staff, doctors, nurses pulled me away and tried to revive him. I had no strength to stand up...
My mind was a blank.... my eyes could only see a sea of black.
He did not leave this world...I merely lost the chance to touch him anymore.
But he would appear in my dreams sometimes, telling me how he was doing.
He's still accompaning me, still alive, in my heart.
would still laugh at my silliness, and call me his darling....just that...he never apologise to me anymore.
After a month, his mom came to look for me, and gave me a box...inside was
a 100 photographs, everyone had a story behind them..the reasons why he made me angry.
The first time, my dear, I did not purposely arrive late to pick you up.
I know this excuse is really lame, but I didn't have the heart to tell you the truth then,
before I stepped out of the house, I felt a pain in my chest, but I still made it a point to meet you, please forgive me?
The second time, my dear, I...
The third time, my dear, I...
The 100th time, my dear, I didn't mean to leave you alone in this world,
It had to be so because God did not give me the chance to say I Love You for this lifetime of mine, and to put the ring on your finger....
You are the first girl I apologised to.
And also the first girl I want to be with for the rest of my life...
Forgive me for not able to bring you happiness but I have thus become your angel, always looking out for you...
Looking at you while you find your happiness...promise me...don't shed a tear...
I don't want to see you weep like this for me, I Love You ~XOXO
How can I not cry? What you said was just too impossible.
The last photograph was of him in the hospital,
Although he was skinny, the smile on his face was bright as ever.
His face was white and yet he tried his best to give his last smile on the last photo, the 100th.
At the time when he needed me the most, I wasn't with him.
:I'm sorry.
I held the photo tightly and cried for us.....

test

2006-08-13T03:06:00.000+10:00

this is all I do...

2006-08-13T00:39:00.000+10:00

Went over to mummy's today for dinner. We were joined by Rima & Yanni and Mike & Barbara. We were celebrating a belated birthday for Chikky as his birthday plans were rained out last weekend.

Salmon & Tuna Sashimi, Fresh Prawns and Oysters

Spaghetti with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Olives, Proschutto and Olive Oil

We had a feast of fresh prawns, Pacific Oysters and Sashimi from the Sydney Fish Markets. Pacific oysters are way way bigger than Sydney Rock Oysters (SRO)... SRO are smaller in size and not as fleshy as an oyster should be. Yucks! tabouli too! I guess it's not to everyone's taste as it is basically herbs. It does taste great though and it is EXTREMELY good for you!

Anyway, after dinner came dessert! Yummy!!!! We had a Panna cotta & Honey Sponge Cake. OMG! It was absolutely divine! *faints* The top of the cake was HONEY!!!! Not the crap stuff either but real, real, sweet nectar of the Gods kind of HONEY!!!! This has to be one of the NICEST ever cake I have tried. Nothing, absolutely nothing is better than this! We got the cake from Cafe Sul Ponte at Westfield, Hurstville.

Panna cotta & Honey Sponge Cake

Cafe Sul Ponte
Store 1-43, Westfield Shopping Centre
Hurstville NSW 2220
Tel: 02 9580 1041

Technorati Tags: blog, birthday, sashimi, pacific oysters, sydney fish markets, panna cotta, westfield, singapore

My Favourite things

2006-08-11T23:29:00.000+10:00

I have had the craving for sushi for that past few days and finally... my chance to settle my cravings! muhahaha!!!

Chicken Cutlet with Avocado Roll

Inari (Sweet Rice wrapped with Beancurd)

Seasoned Scallop Lip Sushi

Ebi Tempura Udon

Crabstick Sushi

Mini Ebi Tempura Sushi

Salmon & Avocado Sushi

All photos were taken with my N70. :o) Doesn't seem very sharp though... wonder why...

I made dessert with dried beancurd skin, gingko nuts, quails eggs, eggs, water and sugar. I have no idea what it's called but I do remember that my daddy used to make this for me and I loved it!

Technorati Tags: blog, sushi, forum, udon, dessert, recipes, singapore

happy 41st birthday singapore!

2006-08-10T01:19:00.000+10:00

Happy birthday Singapore!

May you enjoy constant prosperity and growth.

Now... I wonder what this year's National Day Parade was like...

I made a definite Singaporean iconic dish to mark the occasion. Fried Rice!!!

Fried Rice (my childhood style)

Now, most would know that I absolutely die without spice BUT today's dinner was... different. I remembered what it was like when I was just a wee kid and living with my grandmother, in her Hougang semi-D, together with my uncles and aunties. My auntie used to make the most delicious dishes... there was Fried Noodles with Cubed Potatoes and Bean Sprouts, Nonya Mee Siam (not the kind U get nowadays but the ones made with belimbing) and then there was the simple Fried Rice.

However, the perfect Fried Rice is not an easy feat. Until now, I have not truly mastered the art. Fried Rice to some may simply be the tossing of a few ingredients together with rice. You are so wrong! There is a definite skill to be learnt... even down to the strength of the fire. Did you know that Fried Rice HAS to be done over a gas stove with really high heat or the rice will turn gluggy?

When we were kids, we weren't really allowed chilli sauce or anything too spicy (God knows how I developed such a penchant for it!!!) so when our meal of Fried Rice with BBQ Pork and Peas were dished up, my brother and I would almost always 'enhance' it's flavour with tomato ketchup! Hahaha!

I know for a fact that he still does that. :o) I, on the other hand, have not but enjoy mine immensely with sambal belacan...

Sambal Belacan

Is that not simply mouth-watering??? *droolzzz* If it ain't spicy, it worth eating!

So anyhow... this was the tribute to my beloved Country on its 41st birthday!!

Technorati Tags: blog, birthday, fried rice, mee siam, nonya, sambal, belacan, recipes, singaporean, singapore

chobits! chobits! chobits!

2006-08-09T21:51:00.000+10:00

Just found about this anime called Chobits! I am not a fan of anime but... but this is way cool! I am currently starting Chapter 20!

Chobits - Plot

The story centers on the life of Hideki Motosuwa, 18, a repeat student ("ronin") attempting to get into university by studying at the Seki Prep School in Tokyo. An honest and unassuming teenager raised on a farm, he has little experience with women, though his imagination and libido are both quite active. Besides a girlfriend, the other thing he dreams of having is a persocom (Personal computer), a computer designed to look and act like a human. Hideki discovers that persocoms are commonplace in the city. They are programmed with fairly subdued personalities; they assist their owners with chores (such as shopping, dictation, email, and accounting) and are easily identifiable by the large data ports on the sides of their heads. But persocoms are expensive and Hideki has no money, so he figures the only way he'll ever have one is if he were to find one lying on the curb.

No sooner has he thought this than it happens: on his way home from school one evening, he stumbles across a persocom in the form of a beautiful young girl with long hair, wrapped in cloth, turned off, lying against a pile of trash bags. He carries her home, and after a long and nervous search for her on/off button, he finally turns her on. She comes instantly to life and regards Hideki with open adoration, hugging him often and watching him fascinated as she often mimics the things he does, but the only word she ever says (until later episodes) is "chii", so this is the name Hideki gives her (in the Japanese anime Hideki spells it with an extra "i", as Chii, and it remains "Chi" in the manga).

Hideki recruits the help of his technically-minded friend Shinbo to try to figure out where Chii came from. All they are able to determine is that she does not have any operating system installed. Shinbo is perplexed as to how she's able to be active at all with a blank memory, and this is the beginning of the mystery of Chii's origins and purpose.

Meanwhile Hideki takes it upon himself to teach words, concepts and behaviour to Chii while he attends school, looks for a job, and makes new friends. He finds himself putting aside his libido and protecting Chii against people who want her for themselves; he buys her a storybook in which she seems to take an unusual interest; she shows him unconditional love and cheers him on through his studies. Before long it's clear that Chii is developing feelings for Hideki to a depth that persocoms aren't supposed to be able to have, and Hideki seems to be falling in love with her despite friends' warnings against having feelings for an artificial person.

These links are a special chapter of Chobits in Japanese and in English found in Youtube. All other episodes may also be found there.

Really hope U like it!

Technorati Tags: blog, chobits, youtube, recipes, anime, singapore

Yummy!!!

2006-08-08T21:22:00.000+10:00

I made dinner tonite... made lor bak and baby bok choy with oyster mushrooms. I added tofu and boiled eggs in with the lor bak. Hunny said it was nice but he couldn't taste much. I think he's coming down with the flu...

Anyway, here are the pics of dinner.

My Lor Bak with Tofu & Eggs

Baby Bok Choy with Oyster Mushrooms

Kinda tired... not blogging mood so that all for now! ZZzzzzz.........

Ratu Sari Indonesia

2006-08-06T17:25:00.000+10:00

I met up with Clara and her flatmate, Davina. It was great to meet up with more Singaporeans! It was also Chikky's birthday... yes, it still was.

Their road trip south to Narooma was rained out, so I invited them along.

We had dinner at Ratu Sari Indonesia. It was pretty good Indonesian fare. The sambal was NOT spicy though but overall, I would still recommend it. The Rendang was authentic and the Sambal Kangkong was pretty good. The sambal prawns were NOT spicy... not a bit. I was quite disappointed with that. The rest were so-so... It did bring back memories though...

We had Chendol, Durian Ice cream, Red Bean Island (without the island), Lychee Ice Cream and Chocolate Trio for desserts.

I would give them a low 7/10.

Ratu Sari Indonesian
470 Anzac Parade
Kingsford NSW 2032
Phone (02) 9662 8788

Prior reservations are advised... We had to wait for abt 15 mins for a table.

Birthday

2006-08-04T01:04:00.000+10:00

sashimi Dinner

We celebrated Chikky's birthday early as he and mummy are going down to Narooma tomorrow for his birthday (August 5).

We had oysters, prawns, salmon sashimi, King fish sashimi and tuna sashimi... yummmzz!!!!

Happy Birthday Chikky!!!!

butterfly

2006-08-03T00:36:00.000+10:00

butterfly

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder they say... Is it?

Do you see what I see? Even though it is in black and white... do you see the beauty that it holds? The freedom that it symbolises?

Who am I? Where am I?

2006-08-01T02:06:00.000+10:00

Who exactly am I? I feel lost now... I dunno. What are ethics worth? What is trust worth? Why do I feel weird... ? Why do I have that terrible feeling in the pit of stomach?

I feel like something's wrong... what is it? Is it my sixth sense again? Is it my heart? Emotions? What?!?!?! Why can't someone answer my questions? Why can't anyone find me an answer?

Where is my Angel? How I have missed you... I long for you to be by my side again... For you to guide me, to whisper to me, to point me in the right direction...

Will someone please find me?

I am so lost...

Sexpo 2006

2006-07-30T22:19:00.000+10:00

This is the first I've been to a Sexpo. Introducing.... Sexpo 2006!!!!

Note: There are lots of photos in this post, some of which may not be suitable for those under 18. All photos have not been edited.

See what they are wearing on their heads? Baby penises!

Below are photos of SOME of the toys available for women...

Rabbits...

More rabbits...

Vibes... lots & lots of them!!!

HUGE!!!

Gigantic!

Cute?

These 2 are not battery operated... See the clear one? LOL! I was kinda taken aback when I saw it and I just HAD to share!

Below is an amazing toy! ... absolutely amazing!!! The penis actually moves up and down and up and down and...

Wonderful invention!

Humping Dog...

Lollipop dicks anyone?

Chocolate shaped dicks?

Cutest ever!

The following photos were privileged. It was not part of the sales pitch as they were selling the pole and were not actually there to perform. Presenting... X-Pole!

Simply awesome!!!

The following photos are sillouettes of an ACTUAL couple having sex on the premises.

They were behind this screen

Well... I quite enjoyed myself at Sexpo 2006. I also bought some goodies which I will share tomorrow. :o) Stay tuned!

Technorati Tags: blog, sexpo, vibe, penis, xpole

Which type of CareBear are you?

2006-07-30T02:02:00.000+10:00

"You're a Love-a-lot Bear!
You're spunky, emotional and energetic - full of innocent spirit of first love."

What's your type?

Try this out!

My baby is almost perfect

2006-07-29T22:11:00.000+10:00

With the help and patience of a Keeptouch friend, rice, my baby now speaks Chinese! :D

This entry is dedicated to those who supported me through this trying time and listened to my rantings on KT and MSN.

Special thanks to Bear for the constant sending of Chinese SMSes so that I am able to test the application. I know that International SMS is not cheap. *Hugs*

Thanks to Hong Wee for his advice... I cannot find anyone who would do it! hahaha!

Thanks to Jenn for calling up Nokia Care Centre in Singapore for me and to hear me constantly go on and on about my baby. *ahmcio*

Last but not least... rice for helping a stranger with her problem. :o) Believe it or not, you have made me very happy. My Hunny thanks you too...

Lastly, thanks to my Hunny (although he doesn't read my blog! lol!) for putting up with my moping the last few days and popping into almost every mobile shop I could find!

Technorati Tags: blog, keeptouch, msn, sms, nokia, singapore

The Little Chilli House

2006-07-28T23:15:00.000+10:00

Went to Hurstville to get a brand new replacement set last night and had the craving for spice so we made our way to The Little Chilli House. They have not been opened for long so we thought we would give it a try.

The Little Chilli House

Ma Po Dou Fu & Gong Bao Ji Ding

Because Hunny doesn't eat spicy food, I ordered this from the window... a personal plate just for MOI!!! It was the best Gong bao Ji Ding I have had in Sydney so far. Only this matches Singapore's standard.

Dried Fried Eel in Salt & Pepper

This was a really nice dish! Surprisingly enough, we were able to taste the perfectly blended flavours of the salt, pepper & eel.

Tomato Omellette

OMG! The flavours were amazing in this dish! It may be the MSG (hehe) or it may well be the salt... but the flavour was divine!

Disclaimer: These photos were taken with my baby :o)

Technorati Tags: blog, n70, chilli, hurstville, singapore

My baby again...

2006-07-28T00:47:00.000+10:00

So I went down to get a replacement because of a faulty camera. Baby is working fine now but Telstra said that there is nothing they can do about the chinese language. Bloody hell!!! Is there no bloody demand for chinese in Nokia mobiles? knn... Are Chinese the minority here??? WTF!

I went over to another mobile place and was informed that I could download a language pack off Nokia's webby. I was happy for a while... I searched everywhere but found nothing!

Thank goodness, my dear Bear was able to find it for me and on Nokia AU! :o) Happiness!!! I downloaded and installed and guess what.... knnbccb!!!!!!! Still cannot! WTF!

I have absolutely given up... Why can't Nokia simply make it universal? It's only an extra language. Can't Symbian support chinese text? Stupid!!! I feel so damned insulted! What's the point of having Malaysia, Pilipino and Indonesia (yes, that's exactly what is written in my N70)???

Now I must officially complain to Nokia... this is extrememly upsetting.

Technorati Tags: blog, nokia, n70, telstra, symbian, chinese, singapore

Do strange things happen during the 7th Month (lunar)

2006-07-26T23:33:00.000+10:00

Is it common for weird occurances during the 7th month of the lunar calendar? Yesterday was the first day of the 7th month.

The dream I had just before I woke up was one of an ex-colleague. He was not only my ex-colleague in a network marketing company but also an artiste with Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS). We shall name him JF.

JF and I were more like "Hi! & "Bye!" colleagues. As the company was growing rapidly, we did not have much opportunity to interact on a personal level. I have not seen nor spoken with JF since... 1998 or 1999... It was that long ago!!!

I'm not sure what role he played in my dream but his face was the only one I remembered seeing... Another weird thing was that when I woke up, there was a song playing in my head. It's an Eric Moo song but I do not know the title. Desperately tried to download the song off limewire but to no avail.

*Edit: I found the song!!!! Got it off Baidu. Great chinese song webby! The title is 你是我的唯一.

The thing is, my chinese sux! How on earth would I possibly remember lyrics to a song that I don't know how to sing? This is the second time an old chinese song has popped into my head. The first one was 美丽的花蝴蝶.

Why am I having weird dreams and remembering stuff from the past?

A few days ago, on Keeptouch, there was a thread requesting for lyrics to 'Singapura, Oh Singapura". I thought about it for a few minutes and the memories of the song and lyrics came flooding back.

Why is this? What is going on?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My N70 doesn't contain chinese fonts. *sniff sniff* I was told by a few friends that Australia probably doesn't import Asian sets and only stock European sets. WTF!!!! Why??? Is it so damned #%@&@#& difficult to make it universal? Are there no Chinese in Australia??? WTF!

I went over to Nokia Care Centre (NCC) as they were just across the street. They advised that they are unable to reflash the nobile for me to include Chinese fonts. -_-"

I know for a fact that reflashing is a precarious thing to do to a mobile as it will void the warranty. However, my dear Bear advised me that should there ever be a need for the mobile to be serviced by NCC, I can always reflash the mobile back to its original state.

Tomorrow night, I will be popping into TelstraShop at Hurstville to get a BRAND NEW replacement as the camera is faulty. Haiz! BRAND NEW MOBILE FOR ONLY A DAY AND NEEDS REPLACING?!?!?!?! *faints*

After that, I will ask around the asian mobile shops and see if they are able to customise my baby for me. Fingers crossed!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have been feeling tired these few days. Don't know why but my eyes are heavy and all I feel like doing is sleeping. As I lay in bed, my mind refuses to shut down. I feel a sense of boredom and onto the computer I go...

Haiz...

Technorati Tags: blog, n70, keeptouch, limewire, baidu, lunar, chinese, dreams, singapore

My new baby!!!

2006-07-24T22:02:00.000+10:00

Look at my new baby!!! Finally got my baby at last! I know, I know, I said I wanted the N80 but it has yet to arrive in Australia much less launch.... haiz!

Now I have a slight problem... My N70 doesn't recognise Chinese fonts?!?!?! WTF!!!! How am I to read Chinese then? MAJOR SIANNESS!!!!!

Hunny's got the brand new Samsung Z510 in black. Stylo-milo sia! We still have to pay out our existing contracts but hell! This is worth it!

My Baby - N70

Hunny's Baby - Samsung Z510

Lunch

We had sushi for lunch today because Hunny took time off work to settle some matters and procured the phones. He brought it home for me!!! I was absolutely famished!

I was advised that I should pop over to Nokia Care Centre (NCC) to see if they can 'fix' my chinese font problem... Thank goodness they are only opposite my place!

Technorati Tags: blog, nokia, n70, samsung, z510, singapore

Sunday... a day of rest???

2006-07-23T20:24:00.000+10:00

Hmm... wanna see my activities for the day? Times are approximate.

9.45 am: Wake up (finally!) Shower and get ready...
10.35 am: Left the house to pick mummy up
10.45 am: Picked mummy and on our way to Carlingford for the Food Fair!!!!

Got lost on the way [faints]

12:15 pm: FINALLY!!!! We've found the place!!!! We start browsing and see lots of yummy stuff...
12:45 pm: Sze is here with her friends!!! [woo hoo] We order our food and set down to makan!

We had Penang Char Kway Teow, Satay, Nasi Lemak, Roti Prata, Kway Chap, Ice Kachang, Black Glutinous Rice Pudding, Cream Puffs and Kuehs.

1pm+: Hong Wee has finally arrived with his wife, Lynn.
2pm+: We get ready to leave for Harris Farm at Parramatta... Sze and her friends stay on.
2pm+: Found our way to Harris Farm!

Harris Farm

Our main priority in going to Harris Farm is to purchase pandan leaves but they did not have any in stock. Bummer!!! Mummy was gonna make desserts!

This is the Parramatta River... So peaceful!

3.30 pm: We made our way to Ikea at Homebush... It was HUGE!!!

Is that shelving unit nice or what?

We really like it very very much. [sigh] It costs $169 but it's really very nice... it will go really well with our present decor. Really love the dark-stained timber.

I was looking at customising a computer table with the same wood finish. Bet you it would look spectacular! [insert wide grin here]

This is the table top...

$89 for just the top... not including the legs... To make the computer desk I want, I would need 2 table tops and 8 legs... $89 x 2 + $10 x 8 = $258. [faints]

However, I found another table top. It's longer but only in birch. =_="

Will think about it some more...

Take a look at these lights.

Aren't they beautiful? They really remind me of Christmas. Mummy says that if I were to get those, I wouldn't need a Christmas tree... o.O

5.15 pm: Leaving Ikea...

See the dark sky...

Can't believe we spent all that time there... not sure if it's too much time or not enough!!! What did we end up buying? Hmm... 2 rugs, 2 tealight holders, more scented tealights, napkins, 2 couch covers and a few knick-knacks. All in all, $190!!! The couch covers were already $50 each! [faints]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is what my home looks like...

My Living Room

My new lounge covers & tealight holders (coffee table).

My Dining Room

As you can see, my taste in furnishings are Oriental. I am proud of my roots and am glad that Hunny likes it too. Our coffee & side tables have that dark timber finish that I lurve so much!

We tried getting the same for the dining table but to no avail. They were just too expensive!

My little haven

Lastly, this is my haven... a tad messy though. We've just rearranged the furniture around and this was what I decided upon.

Technorati Tags: blog, parramatta, harrisfarm, ikea, food, singapore

the mrbrown show

2006-07-22T20:25:00.000+10:00

Listening to the mrbrown show at the moment... Mr Brown & Mr Miyagi are presently in San Diego covering the 2006 Comic-Con International.

Their candid podcasts on their 'holiday' is really cool!!!! It's so hilarious how the Americans are using shopping trolleys to collect freebies!!! Talk about Kiasu-ism!!!

I really enjoy listening to their podcasts and hope that you would too!!!

Technorati Tags: blog, mrbrown, comic-con, sandiego, singapore

Click

2006-07-21T02:21:00.000+10:00

Genre: Comedy / Fantasy

Tagline: What If You Had A Universal Remote... That Controlled Your Universe?

Plot Outline: "Click" focuses on a workaholic architect who finds a universal remote that allows him to fast-forward and rewind to different parts of his life. Complications arise when the remote starts to overrule his choices.

Also stars Kate Beckinsale (Underworld), David Hasselhoff (Baywatch) & Henry 'The Fonz' Winkler (Happy Days).

Watched this today. Definitely entertaining, funny, heart-wrenching and uplifting.

The lesson taught was an inspiring and touching one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wah!!! It's been so long since we've watched a movie in the cinema... The last time was probably a year or even more ago!!! *faint*

Anyway, we wanted to watch Superman Returns but the next viewing was at 6pm and it was abt 3pm. Therefore, we decided on 'Click'. It was good!!!! The lesson I learnt was that, in life, we have to take the good with the bad. By trying to 'skip' the bad, we also miss out on the good. In the blink of an eye, our lives pass us by. By then, it would be too late for regrets.

Carpe diem!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We had Vietnames Beef Noodles for dinner after we went clothes shopping. Hunny bought 4 ties and a belt while I got a cute top! Maybe I'll wear that on Sunday. We also picked up 2 Mandarin DVDs... forgot the title liao... must be getting old! hahaha!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was informed that there's a food fair on in Carlingford!!! It is run by a Buddhist organisation... Have to check it out! Definitely! So... what's the plan?? OMG! We were also going to go to Ikea at Homebush... Hmmm.... Not enough hours in a day for all the things I wanna do!!! Haiz...

Will update on my decision later.

Nitez!

Technorati Tags: blog, click, vietnamese, noodles

Sadness Part 1

2006-07-18T21:21:00.000+10:00

How sad is sadness? How much sadness can our heart hold? How much sadness can we endure before it consumes us whole?

I am unable to put this into words. No one who reads this post will understand nor will they bother.

I have so much in me now that I am so incapable of expressing how I feel. My repression mode is on. Damn it! wtf!!!

Haiz...

My prayer for tonight...

Lord, I ask nothing for myself but for the one who needs you now. Please give him the strength to continue his path and the comfort he needs to be at peace.

Amen.

I am a romantic...

2006-07-17T15:31:00.000+10:00

星期五女人

女性化浪漫主義的女人，天生就是會愛情的動物
喜歡美麗與和諧的事物，性格溫柔而且心思敏銳

十分重視情人和其親人，希望雙方是對等的付出
期待對方用心經營感情

希望伴侶能安撫呵護她，喜歡沈浸在被寵愛之中
希望能跟隨在伴侶身邊，不自覺地造成對方壓力

浪漫的行為可能打動她，而且令她感到幸福不已
對愛情毫無保留地投入

She is someone who loves/is a romantic, she is naturally tuned to love.
likes pretty and peace, her character is gentle but observant
Family and lovers are important to her and expects the same from them.
Wishes for a partner who can maintain a good relationship with

Hopes that someone can always be by her side and she loves to be loved.
likes to accompany her partner but instead, seems to add more pressure.
Acts of love will move her, making her feel utter bliss
She will always love without hesitation.

Try it

Constantine

2006-07-15T16:10:00.000+10:00

Hmm... I actually wanted to watch the Da Vinci's Code again last night but halfway through I suddenly had the urge to wat Constantine instead!!! Keanu Reeves!!! *me swooning here*

The story of God and the Devil, of Good and Bad. What is the truth? Why is there pain and suffering, love and joy, calamities and disasters, blessings and miracles? Mebbe there is some truthe to the theory... Mebbe we are all pawns on a GIANT chess board.

We were all given a gift by God (and no, I am NOT preaching). We were given free will. We chose the paths in our lives. If our forefathers had been contented with their lot, we would still be living in Kampongs and chasing chickens!

We would also not have wars and hardship...

What if the movie's true? What if there is a War going on and we are in the middle of it? What if the Bible is true to? What ifs...

How do we find the truth? How do I find my truth?

Technorati Tags: constantine, keanu, reeves, god, truth

tired

2006-07-15T00:28:00.000+10:00

I am tired... mebbe just the lack of challenges... mebbe the lack of concentration... haiz... tired

Da Vinci's Code

2006-07-12T21:08:00.000+10:00

Hmm... Although it's been quite a while since the release and the fact that I have the DVD, I only watched it last nite. It stirred me a little...

Is it wrong for Jesus to be married? Why hide the fact? Is it shameful for Him to have fathered a child? Does it matter if Christ had a daughter? What's wrong with Him having a living bloodline? Why did Mary Magdalene have to be labelled as a whore when she was the wife of Jesus? Are women that inferior to the Vatican? Can daughters not lead too? Does it mean that if Christ has a living descendant that we would would stop worshipping him?

So many questions....

By denying us the truth, those who are covering up are going against Christ. Instead of worshipping him as a father and giving due recognition to his wife and family, they are actually stained his image.

How could they!!!!

To know that there might be someone out there who may be related to Him makes me feel that Hope is around us...

I do wonder how much of the movie is really true and how much is embellished... I hope that the truth will be revealed one day as faith is what WE choose to believe in. The fact that Jesus died on the cross for my sins is enough for me to worship him, regardless whether he is a father or not.

All I ask is that He be respected as well...

To find out the truth, I have asked Hunny to print the online book for me. He did... all 203 pages!!!

I will start on it tonight...

Technorati Tags: blog, Da Vinci's Code, jesus

Veal Oscar

2006-07-11T20:24:00.000+10:00

Veal Oscar is simply veal cutlets topped with asparagus and cooked prawns with hollandaise sauce. It is currently hunny's signature dish!

He has been having a lot of fun in the kitchen recently whipping up a storm!

Technorati Tags: blog, veal, prawns

My Weekend

2006-07-10T02:25:00.000+10:00

I have finally met up with 2 members from Keeptouch (KT)!! Personally, I had loads of fun and it was great to be around Singaporeans again.

On Saturday, we met up in the City for dinner and settled for Korean buffet. We had 30 mins to kill before dinner so we went for pre-dinner drinks... coffee at Starbucks!

These are Eric's colleagues & friends.

This is Angeline & Chee Wee.
Angeline is currently studying in Perth while Chee Wee is working in Sydney. He has a really cool job!

This is Tze, Eric, Hunny and me!

Not sure what this looks like to you but it is Korean Raw Beef Salad.
It is topped with a raw egg and has white radish strips. It was yummy!

See the table full of food? We ordered 3 different types of steamboat. Korean steamboat is totally different from the steamboat that I am used to where we would cook as we ate. Korean style is served with everything in there and side orders of kimchi and the likes.

This is the Beef and Mushroom Steamboat.

See the little yellow things floating in there? That an egg in each of the ring of onion! There's even tang hoon (glass noodles) in there. Sedap!

This is the Seafood Steamboat.
There were prawns, mussels, crabs and a whole fish in there! Very, very nice!

This is the Pork Steamboat.
It may not sound like much but I have to say that it tasted really good too. Who would have thought of using pork?

After dinner, we decided to take a walk to the Darling Harbour for drinks. After much deliberation, it was decided that we would have drinks at The Watershed Hotel. It is not a Hotel but actually a pub/club.

Tze and I

Eric, Tze and I

Hunny and I left at close to 11 pm i think... really tired though... getting old... zzzz. Before we left, we arranged for all of them to come over for dinner the next day...

We managed to fit EVERYONE around the table!

We had Kangaroo Steaks (I promised Eric that), Chicken Wings, Steak, Prawns and an Asian Salad. I hope everyone had enough to eat though...

All in all, I had a great time and I hope that they've all enjoyed their holiday in Sydney.

The are one of the nicest bunch of Singaporeans I've met and this includes those in Singapore! They were extremely considerate and that was the very first thing I noticed!

I hope to meet up with other Keeptouch members in future!

Technorati Tags: korean, singapore, singaporean, keeptouch, sydney

I am Singaporean.

2006-07-07T13:39:00.000+10:00

Born in 1976, I had 4 uncles and 6 aunties and my dad was the oldest of the 11. I have never met my grandfather (gong gong) who passed away in 1975.

I remember living in Lor Ah Soo in my grandmother's (ma ma) house. It was a semi-d and housed the whole family... an amazing feat that was! We used to go acroos the main road to have wanton mee and ice kacang... the wanton mee was famous and he later moved to Hougang Interchange.

My family lived in Ghim Moh. I remember the mama shop downstairs and the nice uncle who always had a smile for me, the security guard who knew me by name, the lantern festivals and RC meetings. I knew most of the residents in my block and they all knew me... even to this day.

My primary school days were fun. I remember going to school in the pouring rain and changing shoes when we got there... we had a veggie garden and I loved playing zero-point during recess.

Both my secondary schools have since closed... sad, very sad. I made good friends and learnt alot during that time. I wish I could have made more.

I remember my National Anthem and Pledge well as I do not look favourably on those who don't. I sang my heart out with each and every song sung for our National Day. We are Singapore...

Technorati Tags: blog, I am Singaporean, singapore, National Day

MrBrown

2006-07-07T13:23:00.000+10:00

Came across this in Keeptouch regarding MrBrown's column http://sg.news.yahoo.com/060706/1/41xsk.html

What exactly did he do wrong?

MrBrown has always made light of an otherwise unhappy/unpleasant situation. He is light-hearted and forward. He speaks the words of most of the citizens and he fights the unjustice faced by us in a non-confrontational way.

Is this wrong too?

This is MrBrown's website...

Technorati Tags: blog, >keeptouch, mrbrown

Technorati

2006-07-07T01:29:00.000+10:00

Just found a really cool way to get your blog tagged and that is by using Technorati Profile.

Unlucky time of the year???

2006-07-06T04:07:00.001+10:00

WTF is going on??? Saturday night/Sunday morning was a sibei suay time... it has extended till today. wtf!!! It's bad enough that the previous matter occurred then I was informed that a forum friend's friend passed away.

lala, if you read this, please forgive me for sharing.

He committed suicide as he had clinical depression. What more can be said? Depression hits the best of us at one point of time or another... but why the drastic path? What is there that cannot be shared? *sob*

I was extremely upset upon hearing the news but was even more upset after another friend told me that he too suffers from it. My heart hurts when I can do nothing to help. At times I worry that I may never speak to him again...

---------------------------------------------------------

Spoke to my ex sister-in-law (SIL) in the morning and was told stories of my brother... haiz. None of them sound like things my brother would say or do...

In the afternoon, I spoke with my brother's gf (GF) and was told of an incident... I believe that they are good together but he really needs to control his temper.

I know that you will see this... Both of you are great together because you are a mirror of each other. How you feel is how she feels... remember that ok? In every relationship, there are ups and downs but I guess the most important thing is not to give up.

She really wants to make this work and I know that deep down you have a voice too. Help her help you... *hugs*

Sianz!!!

2006-07-02T02:38:00.000+10:00

Saturday nite and I am bored shitless!!!

Went out today looking to increase my RAM and found that it is bloody expensive! SDRAM may be discontinued but then shouldn't it be cheaper?!?! $120 - $150 for 512mb and because I only have 2 slots (dun u dare say it!) I would have to puchase 2 to make it to 1gig. Damn it!

The option of buying a new computer from Dell is looking so much sweeter! Haiz...

Next topic...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was informed today that my brother-in-law and his wife are separated due to 'irreconcilable differences'. Dun get me wrong... I have nothing against it but I just worry for the 3 children involved.

I remember what it was like not having a complete family and would never wish that on anyone, much less 3 beautiful children. This will affect them more than anyone adult can imagine.

If a couple cannot get along, it's fine to part as long as the children are handled properly. The trauma may not surface till much later in life...

I wish my brother-in-law and his family all the love an strength they need to get through this time of need.

Next topic...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I honestly forgot wat I wanted to talk abt!!! *faints*

To be continued then...

Buffet at the Marriott

2006-06-30T23:46:00.000+10:00

We were given free Dining Experience vouchers from the Marriott Group and decided that we should go use them today as it was the end of the month. The voucher entitles us to 50% off the meal and we chose the Deluxe Seafood Dinner Buffet!

Click on the menu to see what was on offer! It's priced at AUD$75 per person! *faints* Thank god for the vouchers!!!

They had Roast Duck, Octopus Salad (I had none), Smoked Salmon, Sashimi, Sushi, Prawns (loads of them), Lobsters (see next photo), Balmain Bugs, Crabs, Oysters, Mussels etc... and these were only the cold dishes!

LOBSTERS!!!!!! heh heh heh

Now for the hot stuff! There were Curries, Fish in White Wine Sauce, Pilaf Rice, Stir-fry Vegetables and....

CHILLI CRABS!!!! Although they were sweet chilli crabs, Beggars can't be choosers.... zao sut arh! wahahaha!

These are the Desserts... they are all tasting portions but boy were they good! hahaha! *drools*

I am not showing you everything that I ate but most of them only... Afterall, I don't want to look like a gutz, do I? haha!

This was my first course... 6 natural oysters, 1 kilpatrick and half a lobster. The oysters were extremely small for $75!!!! Hmph! The oysters we had at Cafe Mix at the Shangri-La were much better!

I had some pilaf rice with curry for the next helping. I was saving the best for last...

Look at that!!! Don't they look beautiful? *sigh* Poetry in motion... They were yuummmmmy!!!!

Mmmmm.... my desserts!!!! I have definitely sinned!!!!

Hope this has whet your appetite!!!

Food updates!

2006-06-25T17:13:00.000+10:00

This was the dessert pic that I owed. What you do not see is the nutella I tried to drizzle! haha... it wouldn't drizzle so I had to smear it instead.

This is friday's dinner... Homemade Ang-Mo Style Laksa. :o)

Hunny got a little lecture as he is supposed to stay away from artery-clogging foods and coconut milk just happened to fall under that category.

It was sweet of him though.

This was today's brunch... Pig in a Poke with Baked Beans and OJ.

Pig in a Poke is basically a slice of bread with the middle removed and an egg cracked into it. The egg yolk shd still be runny.

Dinner...

2006-06-22T20:30:00.000+10:00

Back by popular demand... My dinner menu!

Hunny today made Teriyaki & Sweet Chilli Chicken for dinner today. It was good!

Feast your eyes, people!!!

Stay tuned for part 2... dessert! *droolz*

Aura Readings

2006-06-19T19:57:00.000+10:00

I had this reading done through an Australia magazine... The best part is that it's free!!!! If anyone is interested, please email me.

Dear Valarie
Your digestive system is smoky and under stress, so you need to get allergies checked to improve your health and fertility. Do that and you will have a very full and eventful life ahead of you, in which there will be many children, and grandchildren. Your life will be so fulfilling that won’t have the time or the desire for a career! The orange is to do with home issues - maybe you will soon be moving....

Dear John
You need checking for both allergies and parasites. Clear your system and you will open the door to the noble and honourable journey in front of you. The clear blues rising lighter as they travel through your chakras show that you have a future as (rare) an honest, estate agent – someone that your children and grandchildren can be proud of!

Another day...

2006-06-19T19:40:00.000+10:00

I can't believe how many tests I took this morning! hahaha! I have to say that they are pretty accurate though.

Wanna see what I had for dinner tonight? First, a photo of the Chef, my Hunny.

Chef's special today was Beef Sirloin with mushroom sauce. :O)

Cool Tests - What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

2006-06-19T04:48:00.000+10:00

Very impressed with this website

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free.

In love, you feel the most alive when things are straight-forward, and you're told that you're loved.

You'd like to your lover to think you are loyal and faithful... that you'll never change.

You would be forced to break up with someone who was ruthless, cold-blooded, and sarcastic.

Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with.

Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.

You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred.

In this moment, you think of love as something you thirst for. You'll do anything for love, but you won't fall for it easily.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

Cool Tests - What's Your Religious Philosophy?

2006-06-19T04:41:00.000+10:00

You are a Believer

You believe in God and your chosen religion.
Whether you're Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or Hindu..
Your convictions are strong and unwavering.
You think your religion is the one true way, for everyone.

What's Your Religious Philosophy?

Cool Tests - How Is Your Inner Child?

2006-06-19T04:37:00.000+10:00

Haiz...

Your Inner Child Is Sad

You're a very sensitive soul.
You haven't grown that thick skin that most adults have.
Easily hurt, you tend to retreat to your comfort zone.
You don't let many people in - unless you've trusted them for a long time.

How Is Your Inner Child?

Cool Tests - What Temperment Are You?

2006-06-19T04:36:00.000+10:00

True again. Haiz... I am soooo good and soooo bad at the same time! A perfect example of a true Pisces, I guess.

You Have a Choleric Temperament

You are a person of great enthusiasm - easily excited by many things.
Unsatisfied by the ordinary, you are reaching for an epic, extraordinary life.
You want the best. The best life. The best love. The best reputation.

You posses a sharp and keen intellect. Your mind is your primary weapon.
Strong willed, nothing can keep you down. Your energy can break down any wall.
You're an instantly passionate person - and this passion gives you an intoxicating power over others.

At your worst, you are a narcissist. Full of yourself and even proud of your faults.
Stubborn and opinionated, you know what you think is right. End of discussion.
A bit of a misanthrope, you often see others as weak, ignorant, and inferior.

What Temperment Are You?

Cool Tests - Which of the X-Men Are You?

2006-06-19T04:23:00.000+10:00

You Are Jean Grey

Although your fate is often unknown, you always seem to survive (even after death).
Your mind is your greatest weapon, literally!

Powers: telepathy and telekinesis, the ability to project thoughts into the mind of others, communication with animals

Which of the X-Men Are You?

Cool Tests - How Open Minded Are You?

2006-06-19T04:18:00.000+10:00

This is me...

You Are 64% Open Minded

You are a very open minded person, but you're also well grounded.
Tolerant and flexible, you appreciate most lifestyles and viewpoints.
But you also know where you stand firm, and you can draw that line.
You're open to considering every possibility - but in the end, you stand true to yourself.

How Open Minded Are You?

Cool Tests - What Age Do You Act?

2006-06-19T04:17:00.000+10:00

This is exactly what I've been telling ALL of you!!!!

You Are 25 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

Cool Tests - What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

2006-06-19T04:07:00.000+10:00

Yummmzzz

You Are Strawberry Ice Cream

A bit shy and sensitive, you are sweet to the core.
You often find yourself on the outside looking in.
Insightful and pensive, you really understand how the world works.

You are most compatible with chocolate chip ice cream.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

Cool Tests - What Gender Is Your Brain?

2006-06-19T04:06:00.000+10:00

Your Brain is 47% Female, 53% Male

Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female
You are both sensitive and savvy
Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed
But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve

What Gender Is Your Brain?

Cool Tests - The Five Variable Love Test

2006-06-19T03:57:00.000+10:00

Your Five Variable Love Profile

Propensity for Monogamy:

Your propensity for monogamy is medium.
In general, you prefer to have only one love interest.
But it's hard for you to stay devoted for too long!
There's too much eye candy to keep you from wandering.

Experience Level:

Your experience level is high.
You've loved, lost, and loved again.
You have had a wide range of love experiences.
And when the real thing comes along, you know it!

Dominance:

Your dominance is medium.
You tend to be the one with more power.
You aren't a total control freak in relationships..
But of course you don't mind getting you way!

Cynicism:

Your cynicism is low.
You are an eternal optimist when it comes to love and romance.
No matter how many times you've been hurt - you're never bitter.
You believe in one true love, your perfect soulmate.
And if you haven't found true love yet, you know you will soon.

Independence:

Your independence is medium.
In relationships, you need both "me time" and "we time."
You usually find it easy to be part of a couple.
But occasionally you start to feel a little smothered.

The Five Variable Love Test

Cool Tests - What Pattern Is Your Brain?

2006-06-19T03:55:00.000+10:00

This is me!!! What can I say? These tests are way too good!

Your Brain's Pattern

You have a dreamy mind, full of fancy and fantasy.
You have the ability to stay forever entertained with your thoughts.
People may say you're hard to read, but that's because you're so internally focused.
But when you do share what you're thinking, people are impressed with your imagination.

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

Cool Tests - The 5 Factor Values Test

2006-06-19T03:39:00.000+10:00

Again, very, very true... this is scary...

Your Values Profile

Loyalty:

You value loyalty a fair amount.
You're loyal to your friends... to a point.
But if they cross you, you will reconsider your loyalties.
Staying true to others is important to you, but you also stay true to yourself.

Honesty:

You value honesty a fair amount.
You're honest when you can be, but you aren't a stickler for it.
If a little white lie will make a situation more comfortable, you'll go for it.
In the end, you mostly care about "situational integrity."

Generosity:

You value generosity a fair amount.
You are all about giving, as long as there's some give and take.
Supportive and kind, you don't mind helping out a friend in need.
But you know when you've given too much. You have no problem saying "no"!

Humility:

You value humility a fair amount.
You tend to be an easy going, humble person.
But occasionally your ego takes over.
You have a slight competitive streak - and the need to be the best.

Tolerance:

You value tolerance highly.
Not only do you enjoy the company of those very different from you...
You do all that you can to seek it out interesting and unique friends.
You think there are many truths in life, and you're open to many of them.

The Five Factor Values Test

Cool Tests - What Is Your World View?

2006-06-19T03:32:00.000+10:00

This is absolutely so true. It's amazing!

Your World View

You are a happy, well-balanced person who likes people and is liked by others.
You question whether many conventional views on morality are valid under all circumstances.
You are essentially a content person.

Sometimes, you consider yourself a little superior.
You are moral by your own standards.
You believe that morality is what best suits the occasion.

What Is Your World View?

Cool Tests - The Underwear Oracle

2006-06-19T03:30:00.000+10:00

What Your Underwear Says About You

When you're bad, you're very bad. And when you're good, you're still trouble!

You're a closet exhibitionist who gets a thrill from being secretly naughty.

The Underwear Oracle

Cool Tests - What Sign Should You Be?

2006-06-19T03:28:00.000+10:00

You Should Be A Pisces

What's good about you: carefree and compassionate, you are truly light hearted

What's bad about you: when things get bad, you tend to retreat and not let others in

In love: you're a true romantic - it's flowers, bubble baths, and candles all the way

In friendship, you're: eager to lend a sympathetic ear and likely to develop a deep connection

Your ideal job: bartender, magician, or secret agent

Your sense of fashion: simple clothes that don't distract from your personality

You like to pig out on: seafood - from fish sticks to salmon

What Sign Should You Be?

Cool Tests - What Kind of Soul Are You?

2006-06-19T03:26:00.000+10:00

You Are a Seeker Soul

You are on a quest for knowledge and life challenges.
You love to be curious and ask a ton of questions.
Since you know so much, you make for an interesting conversationalist.
Mentally alert, you can outwit almost anyone (and have fun doing it!).

Very introspective, you can be silently critical of others.
And your quiet nature makes it difficult for people to get to know you.
You see yourself as a philosopher, and you take everything philosophically.
Your main talent is expressing and communicating ideas.

Souls you are most compatible with: Hunter Soul and Visionary Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Cool Tests - The 3 Questions Personality Test

2006-06-19T02:59:00.000+10:00

Your Personality Is

Idealist (NF)

You are a passionate, caring, and unique person.
You are good at expressing yourself and sharing your ideals.

You are the most compassionate of all types and connect with others easily.
Your heart tends to rule you. You can't make decisions without considering feelings.

You seek out other empathetic people to befriend.
Truth and authenticity matters in your friendships.

In love, you give everything you have to relationships. You fall in love easily.

At work, you crave personal expression and meaning in your career.

With others, you communicate well. You can spend all night talking with someone.

As far as your looks go, you've likely taken the time to develop your own personal style.

On weekends, you like to be with others. Charity work is also a favorite pastime of yours.

The Three Question Personality Test

Vietnamese and teddies

2006-06-17T21:38:00.000+10:00

Pho Tai

We did our weekly grocery shop today and had Pho Tai for lunch. It's Vietnamese Beef Noodles. It was scrumptious!!! This is my absolute favourite dish in Australia. If they ever close, I wouldn't know what to do with myself!!!

We have tried making it ourselves, why, I have no idea...

My Teddies...

From left, Felton, a no-reason pressie from Hunny. He said that it was too cute so he HAD to buy it for me, Thai-girl, we got her from DreamWorld 2 years ago, the bunny, an easter pressie to Hunny from mummy, ICI, just a cute little thing that reminded me of the ICI paint ads, Fairy, a X'mas pressie from Hunny from the Children's Cancer Council... I think it costs $30+, Nicky, my white doggy I bought from Taka 3 years ago, another little pressie but I did not name it, my Hard Rock Cafe (Melbourne) bear and lastly, the softest bear I ever had... Xiao Bai *cuddlez*.

I am such a kid!!!! *mwahahahaha*

Today...

2006-06-15T18:30:00.000+10:00

It is dad's birthday today. He would have been 73.

There's so much to share about him but not sure where to start...

He doesn't have a mean bone in his body. He is a sincerely happy person. He doesn't hold a grudge. He shares what he has. He loves. He is laid back. He is pedantic. He loves people...

I am proud to say that he is my dad too.

Happy Bithday, dad!!!

Date night

2006-06-15T03:29:00.000+10:00

It was date night again... well not officially anyway but we felt like going out for dinner. Hunny suggested Thai Recipe but the last home delivery incident pissed me off too much for me to want to patronise them.

Anyway, I suggested Sushi Train instead. Guess where we ended up? Where else!!! Sushi Train, of cos! heh heh heh!

Take a look at our dinner! (colours not as good... hate the lighting in there!)

Salmon and Avocado Maki.

Ebi Tempura Sushi

Poached Egg Udon

You may wonder why we only had so little... Hunny had already started eating while I was adjust the camera... These shot were the best I could do under the harsh lighting in there... haiz.

As we walked back to the car, we saw this new restaurant. The Little Chilli House??? Sounds yummy, no? We went to take a look...

LOOK at all that chilli!!! *droolz* How shiok is that??? *droolz* With all that chilli, you'd think that they would make a mean 'Gong Bao Ji Ding' right? Well, I bloody well hope so!!! They do have it on their menu and I will be having a go! Hunny doesn't eat anything spicy though... so who's up for a date?!?!?! hahaha!

The Ideal Sex Partner Test

2006-06-13T22:38:00.000+10:00

Valarie, your ideal sexual partner is just naturally into sex and, more specifically, this person is interested in having sex with you exclusively. That means they're as dedicated to fulfilling their sex drive as they are to using sex as an expression of love. And as such, they are also good at exploring the emotional and physical outlets of pleasure. They can put the orgasm on hold in order to get creative with just as much expertise and interest as they have in being affectionate and loving.

What's your Fantasy Home?

2006-06-13T22:31:00.000+10:00

Valarie, your fantasy home is a Hip Habitat

A trendsetter like you is always on the cutting edge when it comes to what's hot and what's not. So, it's no surprise that your house would reflect your great taste. Staying up-to-date with the latest styles, shades, and shapes in home décor is no easy feat, but you pull it off with flying colors.With your great eye for style and finger on the pulse, your place is sure to be a hip and happening spot. Whether you opt for sleek leather couches, Asian-inspired accents, or truly mod pieces, you'll certainly make a chic statement. It doesn't get much cooler than that.

Passion or fury?

2006-06-13T21:09:00.000+10:00

What is passion? Is passion what you feel when you have an intense emotion?

Does anger count as passion? Does hatred? Does fury?

I think I have lost my ability to control my feelings., neither can I express my emotions in words. I feel what I feel because it affects me so but how do I tell my story?

A friends says that I should turn my thoughts and emotions into words... how do I when my emotions run amok?

I want to lash out but not at the innocent. I want to thrash but only at the deserved. Haiz...

Where can I go to escape? Where can I go to hide? Where can I ride out my storm? Where can I find comfort within?

I do not have a haven no more... I have nowhere else to run to...

I feel so suppressed, unable to hear my own voice, unable to hear the voice within, unable to see the signs, unable to connect...

WHY???? Why the ....?

I am sick and tired of all these bullshit, so tired of it all.

This is what I made today...

2006-06-08T22:45:00.000+10:00

This is one of my most favourite things to eat and it costs wat? $1.50? $2.00? $2.50 in Singapore? OMG!!! Do you know how much work goes into making one of these?!?!?!?! *faints*

It's is definitely not an easy feat at all... For the life of me, I could not get the dumplings into the shape of a pyramid.

However, it turned out simply delicious!!!! Absolutely devine!!!! The recipe can be found here and also in my Recipes page. Try it for yourself IF you have the time. It was YUMMY!!!! *faints again*

Feng Shui... true or false?

2006-06-02T23:29:00.000+10:00

Did a Feng Shui test from Tickle today and below are my results. Little did I realise that I had previously taken the best as well! *duh!* Anyway, I checked and both results are the same!!! haha! Guess it shows that I am consistant eh?

"Valarie, you're already using 29 of 39 critical Feng Shui techniques and the area of your life benefiting most from the flow of your feng shui energy is what's known as Wisdom.

This is the area of life that involves being able to tap into your own inner wisdom, having the strength to take on challenges and difficult tasks, doing well academically, and making good decisions. There are many variables that can enhance your wisdom feng shui. One thing you already have going for you is that you display books in your home.

While you have some good feng shui, your test answers reveal your energy is most blocked in the area practitioners call career. Blocked energy in this area of life can prevent you from finding and keeping a job that's meaningful, enjoyable, and well-paid."

So NOW you know why I do what I do... hee hee!

Friendster mail/male ??? Hahaha!

2006-06-01T17:05:00.000+10:00

I got this in my friendster today...

Message:

1. Do you know anyone's friendster password? ---> Yes but cannot remember

2. Do you think your love life right now will last long?---> Never know what tomorrow might bring...

3. Are you an emotional person?---> Yes, very

4. If you had one last breath to say something to someone you love what would you say?---> Thank you for loving me.

5. Do you believe in love at first sight?---> Of course

6. Ever felt so jealous of your friend?---> Nope.

7. What was the last thing you did?---> Still doing it... answering this

8. Who is right next to you?---> I'm all alone

9. Who was the last person you ate with?---> Hunny!!!

10. How many times has your profile been viewed?---> Less than 100... lazy to check

11. How's the weather right now?---> cold... It's the 1st day of winter!!! Woo Hoo!!

12. Last person you called today?---> Hunny

13. Last person who called you?---> Hunny

14. Last song you sang?---> True by Ryan Cabrera & Written in the Stars by Elton John feat. Leanne Rimes

15. Last time you danced?---> 2003

16. Lost a friendship over something stupid?---> Yes

17. Smoke?---> Quit liao!!!

18. Dumped someone before?---> Of course!

19. Been really depressed before?---> Yes.

20. Faked being sick to miss school?---> *nods*

21. What time did you wake up today?---> cannot say... Hunny might read this! *snickers*

22. Current taste?---> Taste of what? Me? I taste clean I think cos I showered.

23. Do you like the person who sent you this?---> Good question... >.<

24. What are you wearing right now?---> ??? Perverted question???

25. Are you too shy to ask anyone out?---> If it's someone I fancy but have not received any hints then yes.

26. What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?---> His eyes and his smile (or the lack of it) *snicker*

27. Where are you now?---> In my personal space

28. What is today's date?---> June 1, 2006

29. Did you go anywhere today?---> The day's not over yet... going out for anniversary dinner later... :o)

30. Did you go anywhere yesterday?---> Not physically, no but I did go to a few forums, does that count?

31. Do you LIKE anybody now ?---> *blush* yes...

3rd year Anniversary!!!

2006-06-01T16:29:00.000+10:00

It was 3 years ago today that Hunny and I got together!!! 3 years is not a long time neither is it short. I guess we've learnt alot about eash other these 3 years but there still so much more to learn.

I look forward to our Wedding Anniversary in a few months...

We had Vietnamese for dinner, Miss Saigon at Hurstville, my absolute favourite!!!! Vietnamese Beef Noodles!! Hunny wouldn't let me bring my camera so no pics... sorry guys!!!

3 years ago today...

2006-05-31T21:43:00.000+10:00

3 years ago today, I 1st met my hunny for dinner. we had been chatting for quite a while when mummy said, out of the blue, "Ask him out for dinner." I was shocked that muumy would even suggest that! However, I did as I was told and hunny said yes.

We met up at the Rockdale RSL for dinner as they serve the nicest chinese food in Sydney, by my standards anyway. Dinner was great and we had fun.

The next day was the 1st of June. It was our real official date as it was unchaperoned! *snicker* We remember it clearly as it is the 1st day of Winter! (It wasn't this cold last year though) Hunny called me to ask me out. *blush*

He picked me up and we headed to Cronulla Beach for lunch. I was so nervous that I couldn't eat anything!! Hahaha! He probably still doesn't know why I did not eat... ssssshhhhh....

Anyway, the rest, as they say, is history!!! :o)

Food...

2006-05-30T22:23:00.000+10:00

Had Bolognese with Penne tonight... wanted a change so we tried Penne instead of Spaghetti this time round. It was soooo nice!!!

We had a Margaret River Cab Sav. The after taste was like prune juice but fruitier!!! I put some into the bolognese sauce as well... yummy!!!

Nothing much to report.... till later maybe!!!

BTW, like my new blog??? :o)

Why do we choose to love?

2006-05-27T14:34:00.000+10:00

I thought about this last year when Dad passed away. Mum was devastated as it was too sudden. No one saw it coming.

I have recently started thinking about it again...

Why do we, an intelligent race, choose to love when love brings us pain and suffering? Although there are happy times but they are naturally erased when heartbreak comes, doesn't it? The pain is more prominent in our hearts...

Why do we choose to love? When one day we will definitely be separated by death... Is that ultimate sorrow worth the joy of we are together? Is it? Why do we choose to spend almost a lifetime with one other, only to lose him at the end?

So why DO we choose to love? Are we suckers for punishment?

I choose to love because it is something I cannot do without... There is no point in life if there isn't someone for me to share it with... Even the most mundane of task seems enjoyable when there's someone by my side. The darkest of nights seem brighter, the saddest of times more bearable. The happiest of days are those spent with him; for happiness is nothing without someone to share it with.

What happened yesterday?

2006-05-23T14:44:00.000+10:00

Mummy was finally discharged from hospital! Woo hoo! (Left: Mummy's homecoming) We brought her home and I spent the whole day at mummy's. Mummy requested Fish Bee Hoon Soup for dinner and I gladly obliged. (See photo below) Somehow, the soup just didn't taste the same... why is that??? Anyway, my recipe will be added to the links on the right soon.

Mummy feels like curry chicken tonight. Hmmm.... but my hunny's not feeling well so no curry for me... *sob* *sob* but guess what!!! I will have it for lunch tomorrow!!! hahaha!

A Dream Explained

2006-05-22T20:26:00.000+10:00

I had this dream last friday... It made me so depressed that I had no mood to blog about it till now.

I had a dream of a friend. His name is Jon. This is the second time I've dreamt of him and the first was a premonition of something that had happened but I never knew about.

I dreamt that Jon, his friend, Adam, whom I have no idea who, my brother, his gf, my hubby and I, were at Hard Rock. I think it's in Singapore... Jon was talking to a malay female and for no apparent reason, my bro's gf started scolding this girl. When I heard the commotion, I walked over to see Jon and my bro standing by, keeping quiet. So I motioned my hubby that we shd just stay out of it.

I started walking aimlessly outside and soon, my bro caught up with me and asked me what was wrong... my mind at that time was a total blank. I said I was fine and continued drifting... Soon, his gf and my hubby caught up. I asked where Jon was as we all had come in Adam's car. My bro tried calling Jon on his hp and was told that they had left.

I continued walking and came to this water feature. It was in the middle of the footpath and it was a huge fish tank... kinda like the one in Wisma Atria. I looked at the fish swimming and then continued walking...

When I woke up, I felt upset but not sad. It was almost a depressing kinda feeling... I was depressed the whole day...

A Dream Explained - special thanks to Edward

Your dream is very distinctive in a way that you remember every detail very clearly. Most people cannot actually remember their dreams in half the details.

There are some conflicts in your life that you wanted to solve but you dont want to face it. You would prefer to keep quiet and see how the course of the nature goes as in your dream suggested when you chose to do nothing and prevented others from interfering. When you found that the problem was too much for you, you chose to walk out in hope that you can hide it. Then there are reminders coming from the form of your brother, you chose to again refuse to knowledge the problem and moved on trying to avoid the problem.

Finally, you decided to get the problem to the point back to before it started as you ask your brother to call Jon to ask him where he is as you all had came in Adam's car (Obviously at this point, you all are waiting for him to go back as well. Just curious at this point, i did a counting there are six person, how are you going to squeeze six adult into a car but there again in dream everything is possible.) Then you keep walking till you saw a fish tank with fishes just like in Wisma. Fishes in tank represents that you find contentment in your marriage and you are totally satisfied with it. You stopped there watching it, seeking for comfort from watching the fish. As for the walking off part, you are still seeking for answer as to how to solve the problem.

You feel upset when you wake up because it is a dream that reminds you, subconsciously, of something that you had to do but you had put it off for a long time. Jon is actually nothing more than a source of problem for this case. Something that is significant enough for you to acknowledge. Apply this to your life and see if it is really true to the situation? I can't say for sure as I know the history of the people whom i've had done this with and is therefore easier to interpret.

I hate to say this but he is spot on!!! Anyone who is interested please let me know...

Candlelight

2006-05-19T02:22:00.000+10:00

How sweet is this? A candlelight dinner prepared by my Hunny! We had Atlantic Salmon with Lemon & Pepper with Spinach and Rice. *Yummmm*

Hospital 4

2006-05-19T01:24:00.000+10:00

On the left, the blood spots are the pins holding everyting in place... If you look closely, they've written the letter 'L' and and arrow on mummy's leg. How weird!

On the right is mummy's menu for the day. Mummy chose the Apricot Lamb Hot Pot with Seasonal Vegetables for the main course and Custard Filled Brioche. Imagine that! That's the kind of food you order in a restaurant!!! Unbelievable!

Mummy had the epidural, the saline drip and the catheter removed today. Now that she no longer has a constant flow of pain relieve, they have prescribed painkillers, in tablet form, to be administered every 2 hours.

Mummy has been having her physiotherapy treatments. It is definitely a painful and slow progress... but hey! Any progress is good progress!

More flowers came today, these are from Mummy's team at CBA and Chikky's work. Isn't that nice of them?

Food!!!

2006-05-17T22:55:00.000+10:00

This is what I made for dinner.... It has eye fillet *yummmm*, veggies, pho noodles and a mixture of sauces. Please don't ask me what's in it... it has everything!!!

Anyways, Hunny loved it!!!

This is the moon tonight... isn't it amazing??? I would like to learn more about photography as I am still unable to take my ultimate moon shot and it is starting to piss me off big time... argh!!!

Hospital 3

2006-05-17T21:44:00.000+10:00

So... went down to the hospital a little later today cos I was feeling a little light-headed again...

Mummy had her bandages removed today. They've also removed the tube attached to her knee that was for draining the excess fluid. The nurses started making mummy do some light physiotherapy. Mummy said it really hurt so they drugged her... *hee hee*

I think that mummy is healing really well and they might be removing the epidural tomorrow.
(L to R: Mummy just after dinner, Knee without bandage... i think there are 4 pins in there...)

Owed photos:

Chikky's flowers... Hunny's flowers

Hospital 2

2006-05-17T03:14:00.000+10:00

Mummy's operation went without a hitch today! *whew!* Although we were informed that there would be a 4-hour recovery, mummy only stayed in recovery for about an hour.

I was planning to suprise mummy by getting there before she is wheeled back to the ward but I received a call from the hospital at approximately 1.30 pm. It scared the shit out of me!!!

Thank goodness it was only mummy calling to say that she could not get in touch with chikky and that she was out of recovery.

Chikky was at the Holden dealership getting the car looked at when I called him. He came by to pick me up and off we went, to the hospital.

Chikky bought mummy a huge bouquet consisting of roses and daisies (I think)!! *I will remember to take a photo tomorrow... I will remember to take a photo tomorrow... I will remember to take a photo tomorrow... *

When we arrived, we found mummy well and lucid. She looked great for someone who just had an operation!!

Mummy was given a private room as she was unable to sleep the night before due to her roommate and her 'orchestra' (snoring, farting, mumbling etc)...

We spent the WHOLE day there, keeping mummy company. The nurses were WONDERFUL!!! They were all cheerful and smiling... *keep up the good work!*

Hunny dropped by after work with KFC as I know that mummy worries about chikky not eating when she's not around.

Surprise, surprise! Hunny bought mummy flowers!!! *I will remember to take a photo tomorrow... I will remember to take a photo tomorrow... I will remember to take a photo tomorrow... *

We watched a little tv and went home after dropping chikky off.

Here are some photos:

(Left to Right: Mummy in bed after operation, the epidural for pain relieve, Mummy's new knee!!!!)

More updates tomorrow... very tired liao... *yawnzzz*

To all who've sent their well-wishes and kept my mummy in their prayers, thank you so much!!!

Palmistry???

2006-05-16T02:19:00.000+10:00

Strong personal power makes a strong relationship

Notice that the Heart Line is long and curved up well under the index finger. This person expresses love and intimacy energy in a relationship with a lot of confidence, charm, and personal power. The index finger is used frequently to point and gesture to emphasize one's strong personal intentions. Of all the fingers, the index finger is used to most strongly express personal power. This curved long Heart Line ending near the base of the index finger indicates it is using this personal power in relationships.

In a relationship, Nurturer types are very giving, nurturing, and tend to satisfy the needs of the mate before their own needs. In the field of psychology they often are classified as co-dependent. The real truth, according to palmistry, is that they are idealists and sentimentalists who see their efforts and caring as their most precious gift to others. They have a lot to give others and do so willingly.

Receiving is as important as giving

A common relationship pattern for a person with this Nurturer Heart Line is this: She or he goes into the relationship giving 150%, and never says that anything is expected in return. However, she or he assumes that something equal will be returned. This is natural because a Nurturer is an idealist! Unfortunately, the type of partner attracted to the Nurturer usually is the opposite type. So at some point in the relationship the Nurturer starts feeling resentful and "used". Also the Nurturer's partner no longer gets what she or he has grown to expect, so is dissatisfied, too. When this happens the relationship is over for both unless they can see what is happening.

Nurturer types need to understand their own psychological needs and make contracts to get those needs met in order to avoid this relationship pattern. Very early in the relationship Nurturers need to say clearly that (1) they are givers, and (2) what and how much they want to give to the relationship. Then they (3) must say what it is they expect in return. The last step (4) is to ask the partner if she or he is willing to give back what is desired. This contract can be renegotiated at any time. Maybe it isn't written down or stated in exactly this way; however, some form of a contract, agreement, or understanding is essential. Without this basic understanding (i.e. "contract"), the Nurturer may frequently feel ripped off and used.

The real psychology to understand is this: The Nurturer should learn to love self enough to feel OK about asking for what is wanted, and be able to receive it without guilt. She or he needs to know that it is not necessary to give 150% in a relationship in order to get acceptance and love.

Hospital

2006-05-15T21:18:00.000+10:00

I walked 20 mins to the hospital today... It wasn't that far nor was it that near especially when I had to inhale b***dy exhaust fumes all the way there!!!

Mummy checked in at 4.15 pm today. Mummy's operation is scheduled for approximately 11.00 am tomorrow... I will have to walk there again... where's my chauffer???

Mummy has a low pain threshold... terribly low and she is afraid of needles too. I hope that everything will go smoothly tomorrow... *fingers crossed*

Mummy & Chikky at check in... Mummy's knee as we have always known it... Us & the teddy bear we bought to keep mummy company!

My Weekend

2006-05-15T21:01:00.000+10:00

Saturday, May 13, 2006.

Woke up, went out shopping cos hunny say that I needed new clothes but in fact, it was he who wanted to go shopping! sheesh! So we went shopping...

I bought a bag... really nice, kinda boho but it carries my camera wel, a pair of 'trackie' pants to wear at home... more like pj pants, a pair of CUTE Snoopy PJs (for $20!!!!) and 4 pairs of underwear!! Hahaha!

Hunny got his shirt...

We looked around for a pair of crutches that mummy could use after her discharge from hospital. We could only find ONE pair and they did not even match! How on earth...? (Mummy did find a pair eventually)

We spent the whole day out and came home around 5... went out for dinner with mummy and chikky at Rockdale RSL and had steamed fish... yum...

So tired!!!

Sunday, May 14, 2006.

Woke up early yet again to grocery shopping... *yawn*

We thought that mummy & chikky were coming to pick us up and go to the christening together... but mummy called at 12.05 pm and asked why we were late! oops! Mis-communication?

The christening went well and the food at the reception was absolutely delicious!!! It was the best Greek food I've ever eaten!!! I must get the recipes...

Photos will be posted at a later date... sorry guys!

Happy Birthday Andrew!!!

2006-05-12T13:15:00.000+10:00

(Left: Andrew. Right: Peter)

Happy Birthday Andrew!!!

Today is the 49th Birthday of my brother-in-law, Andrew.

A little about Andrew...

Andrew is a fun-loving, humourous, understanding and caring man. He is a patient man with a huge heart and hardly says a bad word against anyone.

How are we connected?

Peter is my Hunny's eldest brother and Andrew is his partner. That would make Andrew my brother-in-law!!!

Teochew Fish Porridge!!!

2006-05-09T22:17:00.000+10:00

Yummy!!! Second time now... the first was only last week. I reckon that the 1st attempt was way nicer. Maybe it was the fish that I used for stock... I don't know.. Here's a photo ( I remembered!!!) to show you what the 2nd attempt looked like.

My Narooma Trip.

2006-05-08T17:13:00.000+10:00

Day 1

Breakfast

We set off at about 7.15 am... *yawn* We stopped at MacDonald's for our customary road trip breakfast. See? Chikky looks awake now! hahaha!

The whole purpose of this holiday is to celebrate Mummy & Chikky's 10th Wedding Anniversary! Fast, isn't it? It's been 10 years since Mummy's been to Australia too...

As soon as we hit the road, some of us fell asleep... while others (me) soon tuned out of the real world and into my own... However, it did not take long before I soon fell alseep too... *ZZzzzz...*

Batemans Bay

I was awoken as we were pulling into Batemans Bay for a stretch and to take in the splendid water views and soon after, we were off again!

Bodalla

Our next stop was the town of Bodalla. Well, we did not actually stop at the town but at a church. This is the 'scary church' which Chikky says looks like it's from a horror movie. I am the chicken in the family and I think this church is not even close to being scary. The architecture is just simply beautiful... Bodalla, translated in Turkish and Yugoslav means 'stupid', and it also sounds like Bodoh! Hahaha!

Now, does that look scary to you? This is actually an Anglican church and is currently still in use. The main altar is protected with alarms and there was even a sign warning us not to go any further (above left). Weird, I thought.

Final Destination

Finally, after hours of driving (and napping), we have reached Narooma!!! Yippee! This is our cabin (left) and this is the view from our cabin (right).

After checking in, we went out for a fish & chips lunch!!! Alas, I forgot to take pictures of food... You will come to notice that when it comes to food... I always forget!

We proceeded to make our way to the little wharf/jetty/pier... The water was extremely clear but it was kind of windy too... Want to see how clear the water was?

Fish was in abundance!!! We could see the bigger fish swimming around, taunting us. I guess the only reason why they managed to grow bigger is because they are smarter and would not let themselves get caught!

We spent quite a few hours fishing and it was great fun!Although all we caught were baby fish and had to be let go.

Dinner

Dinner was at the Narooma Golf Club. It boasts spectacular views from the restaurant as the club is on a hill and overlooks the sea. However, it was past nightfall and we could not see a thing!!!

I had the Blue Swimmer (like flower crab) with lemongrass, almost like a rempah, with rice. It was sooo good!!!Mummy had the Seafood Chowder which was very nice and the 2 boys had Salt and Pepper Squid. I'd dare say that my crab was the best!! Woohoo!!! Yet again, i forgot to take a photo... *sigh*

Pokies!!!

Poker machines in Australia start from $0.01. We played a little on the poker machines before dinner and I made a little money. So, we went back again after dinner. I again made some money, profit around $100+. So darn happy! So Mummy and I pooled our money together and 'invested' it into a machine.

First we had a set of free games (15 each time). After that finished, I upped the ante. We were now betting $2.00 a spin. We got another set of free games. During the free games, we got another set and yet another and another... That round, we had a total of 75 free games!!! That was definitely a first!!! However, it was kind of disappointing considering the number of free games, it only paid out a profit of $320... Oh well... c'est la vie!

Day 2

Bermagui

We hopped in the car and went to Bermagui for more fishing and stopped for fuel. A lady came out and we were shocked as she proceeded to fuel up the car!!! It's self-service in Australia...

Next, we continued on to the town centre for brunch. I ordered a fish burger with egg, thinking that it would be like a Fillet-o-Fish... but it was made with real fish! It was all stacked up that I could not put my mouth around it! (Again, I forgot the photos...) We walked around a little and I took some pics...

(Left) This was where we went fishing in Bermagui.

(Right) Hunny caught this weird looking fish... If you look closely, it has legs. No, not the blue ones... the little prawn looking legs near the eyes!!!

After a while, we decided to move on to Tathra... It was extremely windy... but it was so beautiful!

Dinner that night was seafood again!!! Yums!

Day 3

Batemans Bay

After checking out, we stopped at Batemans Bay for Brunch. I order Garlic Prawns with Pasta, Chikky had a Sub and My Mummy and Hunny had Thai Chicken Salads!!! This time, I finally remembered to take photos!

(Top : mine; Left: Chikky's; Right: Mummy and Hunny's)

On the drive back, we made our last pit stop at Huskisson.

I do hope that you've enjoyed my photos.

Lots more were taken but there's only so much I can fit in here.

Home Sweet Home!!!

2006-05-07T19:28:00.000+10:00

Ahhhh.... It's great to be home, back to the creature comforts that I'm accustomed to.

Please don't get me wrong... I love going away on road trips and short holidays around Australia. Australia has the most beautiful and exquisite countryside and scenery, but there is always something about coming home that's comforting...

I know promises have been made but give me a break!!! I just got home!!!

My photos should be up and ready for your viewing pleasure by tomorrow night. However, please take into account that I am not a very good photographer and most (95%) of my photos are of scenery.

I have tried my best to capture the beauty that I have seen but personally, I do not think that I was able to... Please do give your opinions and constructive criticism.

Going away tomorrow!!!

2006-05-04T23:25:00.000+10:00

I'm going on my holiday tomorrow!!! I am really looking forward to it because my Hunny has never been there... yet. Too many unpleasant things have happened along the way...

Indigos

2006-05-03T14:42:00.000+10:00

Introduction to Indigo Children & Adults

What's an Indigo Adult?

Do Adult Indigos exist? YES!!! They did not just start coming at rates of 90% of the incoming population in 1992. I believe there have always been some Indigos, the amount of which has only increased through the last 50 years or so. My guess on percentages is that Indigos make up approximately 15-25% of 20-30 year olds, 10-15% of 30-40 yr olds, 5-10% of 40-50 yr olds and 0-5% prior to that time. That's MY opinion, not a fact. Some of us are here to pave the way for today's massive influx of Indigo energy, to break down some barriers and to be advocates and support systems for these children.

The differences to indigo children were reliably coming up in nearly every letter. I collated this data and came up with a list of Indigo adult characteristics as listed below. Many indigos seem to find solace in finally knowing why they are different from the general population and in knowing they are not completely alone.

Are You an Adult Indigo?

Yes, You can be an adult Indigo. They did not JUST start coming in now, the numbers have just been increasing more and more till there are so many we finally can not ignore them. Are you an adult Indigo?

Many indigos seem to find solace in finally knowing why they are different from the general population and in knowing they are not completely alone.

Indigo Adult Characteristics

Are intelligent, though may not have had top grades.
Are very creative and enjoy making things.
Always need to know WHY, especially why they are being asked to do something.
Had disgust and perhaps loathing for much of the required and repetitious work in school.
Were rebellious in school in that they refused to do homework and rejected authority of teachers, OR seriously wanted to rebel, but didn't DARE, usually due to parental pressure.
May have experienced early existential depression and feelings of helplessness. These may have ranged from sadness to utter despair. Suicidal feelings while still in high school or younger are not uncommon in the Indigo Adult.
Have difficulty in service-oriented jobs. Indigos resist authority and caste system of employment.
Prefer leadership positions or working alone to team positions.
Have deep empathy for others, yet an intolerance of stupidity.
May be extremely emotionally sensitive including crying at the drop of a hat (no shielding) Or may be the opposite and show no expression of emotion (full shielding).
May have trouble with RAGE.
Have trouble with systems they consider broken or ineffective, ie. political, educational, medical, and legal.
Alienation from or anger with politics - feeling your voice won't count and/or that the outcome really doesn't matter.
Frustration with or rejection of the traditional American dream - 9-5 career, marriage, 2.5 children, house with white picket fence, etc.
Anger at rights being taken away, fear and/or fury at "Big Brother watching you."
Have a burning desire to do something to change and improve the world. May be stymied what to do. May have trouble identifying their path.
Have psychic or spiritual interest appear fairly young - in or before teen years.
Had few if any Indigo role models. Having had some doesn't mean you're not an indigo, though.
Have strong intuition.
Random behaviour pattern or mind style - (symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder). May have trouble focusing on assigned tasks, may jump around in conversations.
Have had psychic experiences, such as premonitions, seeing angels or ghosts, out of body experiences, hearing voices.
May be electrically sensitive such as watches not working and street lights going out as you move under them, electrical equipment malfunctioning and lights blowing out.
May have awareness of other dimensions and parallel realities.
Sexually are very expressive and inventive OR may reject sexuality in boredom or with intention of achieving higher spiritual connection. May explore alternative types of sexuality.
Seek meaning to their life and understanding about the world May seek this through religion or spirituality, spiritual groups and books, self-help groups and books.
When they find balance they may become very strong, healthy, happy individuals.

Please note, anyone could have a few of these traits, but Indigo Adults have most or all of these 26 characteristics.

What's an Indigo Child?

Indigo Children are the current generation being born today and most of those who are 8 years old or younger. They are different. They have very unique characteristics that set them apart from previous generations of children. The name itself indicates the Life Colour they carry in their auras and is indicative of the Third Eye Chakra, which represents intuition and psychic ability. These are the children who are often rebellious to authority, nonconformist, extremely emotionally and sometimes physically sensitive or fragile, highly talented or academically gifted and often metaphysically gifted as well, usually intuitive, very often labelled ADD, either very empathic and compassionate OR very cold and callous, and are wise beyond their years. Does this sound like yourself or your child?

Indigos have come into this world with difficult challenges to overcome. Their extreme levels of sensitivity are hard to understand and appreciate by parents who don't share this trait. Their giftedness is unusual in such high numbers. Their nonconformity to systems and to discipline will make it difficult to get through their childhood years and perhaps even their adult years. It is also what will help them accomplish big goals such as changing the educational system, for instance. Being an Indigo won't be easy for any of them, but it foretells a mission. The Indigo Children are the ones who have come to raise the vibration of our planet! These are the primary ones who will bring us the enlightenment to ascend.
There's a very good chance your child is an Indigo if he/she was born after 1992. About 85% or higher of children born in '92 or later, 90% born in '94 or after and 95% or more born now (some even say 99%) are Indigo Children! Does this mean you aren't one if you were born prior to 1992? No! I've heard reports that they started coming in the 80s, but that means coming in larger numbers. I believe there have been Indigos born in every year, but perhaps not in high enough percentages to notice their presence and see what makes them so unique. So can you be a 24 yr old Indigo or a 50 year old one? Yes!

Good News & Bad News...

2006-05-02T12:41:00.000+10:00

Last night, I made Teochew fish porridge for dinner. It was fish ever attempt and it was sooooo good!!! Thanks to my mummy for the recipe!!! My Hunny loved it too but I forgot to take a photo of it to show you all... Have to remember... always take photos!!! Argh!!! What a waste! Oh well... I will definitely try to remember next time!

Which would you prefer first? The good to lighten the bad or the bad first and then the good to sweeten things up?

Well... I will give you that choice..... Scroll down and choose.

The Good News

We are going away this weekend (May 4th or 5th to May 7th) to Narooma for Mummy & Chikky's 10th Wedding Anniversary!!! Yes, this is their 10th!!!

A little about Narooma
(Disclaimer:These pics and information were taken off the Internet. I will be loading my own pics AFTER I return from my holiday!!!)

*-* Narooma, originally known as Noorooma, which is derived from ONooroowa’ the Aboriginal word for the "yellow bubble seaweed" in the Inlet.

*-* Situated on the South Coast of NSW, Narooma is only a few hours from Canberra and Sydney. In recent years it has become a popular tourist destination because the surroundings are just so beautiful. Narooma has real character - the waters are clear and clean, the fishing is excellent and the people who live here are friendly.

*-* Narooma has a colourful history and has in the past been a major centre for commerce and industry. Ship building, timber and fishing during the early 1900's. It is ironic that the area was famous for its shipping because it is just as famous for its shipwrecks. One of the landmarks that tourist enjoy is a rock we locals call "Australia Rock" because the hole in the middle of it looks just like Australia - but, it only looks that way because of a shipwreck that occurred back in the 50's.

*-* Gold was discovered around Mount Dromedary and the Gulf field at Nerrigundah in the 1860s. There are numerous gold mines dotted all over the country side. In fact, a number of them have recently been uncovered after being filled in more than 60 years ago. The long drought that has stricken NSW over the past few years caused the ground to dry out so much that the mines simply opened themselves up. Gold can be found everywhere but to find Turquoise is a different story. Many years after they had given up, a lone prospector discovered it only 20 metres from where everyone had been looking previously. The world largest and last vain of pure Turquoise, a vain that was wide, long and went deep into the ground. It was pure and it was found by accident.

*-* Our most famous landmark, or should we say landmass is Montague Island which sits approximately 8 kilometres off shore. Montague Island is a Nature Reserve and is managed by the National Parks and Wildlife. Access to the island is restricted unless it's part of an accompanied and guided tour. The waters around the Island, the reefs, shipwrecks and other marine structures provide some of Australia's best fishing. You can catch anything from a Striped Tuna to a magnificent Marlin. The mighty King Fish are also all over the place nearly all year round (if you know where to look).

*** It is important to note that all anglers above the age of 18 years require a valid NSW fishing licence is required when fishing in NSW. There are heavy fines for fishing without a valid permit - from a $200 on-the-spot fine to a court fine of $2,200. However, those fishing from a charter boat or under a fishing guide are exempt.

Scroll down for the Bad News...

...

THE BAD NEWS

Mummy has confirmed her operation for the 16th of May. She'll be in St George Private Hospital for approximately 5 days and 4 weeks of rest at home. She will be required to attend Physiotherapy sessions too. I do hope that they do house calls.

I will post more details (room number, ward etc) as soon as I get them and I will keep you all updated on her progress... Mummy is extremely afraid of needles and is terrified of operatiions so... Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

A jump, a skip and a hop!!!

2006-05-01T21:44:00.000+10:00

How good it is to feel well again!!!

What did I do today??? Well, I had my job interview and I dare say it went well! *crossing fingers* *trying to cross toes*

I hope, I hope that the phone call on Wednesday would go something like, "We would like to offer you the position. Can you start on May 8?" Argh!!!! I can't stand the suspense!!!

Nick was really nice to talk to. I could understand the difficulties he faced with staff and most importantly, I can understand the kind of boss he is. So, I do hope I get it!!! By the way, Nick is a close friend of John & Rima's!! Rima was the one who told me of the position and I'm glad she did. This position would be perfect for me and I hope that Nick sees it that way too.

Well... I took a few shots of the city today to share with everyone...

This was the gloomy day it was... It was overcast the WHOLE day but no rain! *sigh* It's days like this that get you down, isn't it?

My train station. Yucky isn't it? It looks like the American's subway... Unlike the clean and more modern MRT in Singapore, the train stations now DO NOT have rubbish bins!!! It's just as dirty as when they did have them, but what is the bloody theory behind removing the bins??? To cut down on man power!!! So now, they can't blame commuters for litter as they have no where else to throw their rubbish!!! What a silly Country!

I had my lunch of Hainanese Chicken Rice... yum!!! It's not as good as Singapore's, of course, but it came as close as I could find...

As I was walking along, looking for Bligh Street, I thought that this building just looked so beautiful and majestic!!! This is the Clifley Plaze & Tower. I tried really hard to fit the top of the building in it just wouldn't fit! This pic was taken at the traffic light...

I have finally found Blight Street and realised that I was half an hour early!!! What was I to do??? I took a little stroll around and saw this beautifully restored building!!! It kinda looks like an old hotel... Wonder what it is used for now?

That's it for today... more news and updates tomorrow!!!

Sunday... a day of rest...

2006-05-01T00:13:00.000+10:00

Woke up today with such a headache and body pains but Hunny still insisted that we get our groceries done. My head and neck hurt everytime I coughed. We decided that it as best if went to see a doctor first so off we went!!!

Doctors' consultations in Australia are so bloody expensive without a medicare card. They charge abt $40+ and that does not include medication. They are not as attentive as Singapore's doctors either. All the doctor did was to listen to my lungs and me throat. I remembered that in Singapore, the doctor would feel the glands on the side of my neck before telling me my diagnosis but here, all they do is look. Either they are amazing here or slipshod... I feel slipshod is more appropriate!!!

So anyway, he said that I have swollen glands and that a course of antibiotics would clear it up. I asked if the antibiotics would help with the bodyache and he said that It's only due to the fact that I am unwell. I mean, is that it?? Unwell for 2 weeks as it is and all due to swollen glands??? Oh well!!!

Hunny asked if I would like to have sushi for lunch (have been hinting ALL week!!!) of course I would!!! So, we have a wonderfully healthy lunch (forgot to take pics cos too hungry!) of SUSHI!!!

We finally completed our shopping... whew!!!

I was so under the weather that I fell asleep at 3 pm + and slept till almost 8.30 pm!!! Terrible! I am still feeling tired so I'd probably go to bed soon although I'm not sure how I would be able to sleep.

I feel like Roti Prata just about now! Oh! How I miss the food in Singapore!!!

Last but not least, I have a job interview tomorrow!!! Please keep your fingers crossed!!! I need a full time job to save up lots for my Singapore vacation next year... all the food and travelling I'm going to do needs lots of cash unless someone volunteers to be my chauffer and tour guide... Woo hoo!!! Friends? Anyone there??? *sigh!*

The weekend post.... How cute is she?

2006-04-29T22:10:00.000+10:00

No, this is not my daughter. This is Jacqueline-Marie. She's the child of family friends, John & Rima... How cute is she??? Well, her christening is in 2 weeks and would you believe it, on Mothers' Day!!! She's an absolute doll and we all just adore her!

This is what we have chosen for her christening gift, just needs to be framed now... Hope they like it though!

So today, we went to Fadoulis (wholesaler for chocolates, nuts, dried fruit and honey) to purchase sugared almonds and foil wrapped chocolate hearts. Someone had to try the chocolates to see if they were any good and Rima refused to try them. God know's why!!! she's already lost her baby weight and is stick thin!!! Hunny and I are supposed to be on a diet but guess who had to 'sacrifice'???? It wasn't me of course! Hunny gallantly rescued us from a chocolate! Hahaha!

We had to buy something like 190 chocolate hearts and almost 600 sugared almonds! Guess they invited lots of people...

All in all, we had a great day playing with Jacqueline and meeting up with John & Rima. Looking forward to the christening!

Last but not least, my mummy's going in to schedule her appointment with the knee surgeon on Monday. I reckon it's better to get it out of the way early... and next week's mummy and chikky's 10th Wedding Anniversary!!! We were planning to go away for the weekend... That would probably be postponed till mummy heals; cos she's got 4 weeks of physiotherapy.

Fingers crossed!!!

My Melbourne Trip!

2006-04-29T01:50:00.000+10:00

Well... I have to say that it was way colder than expected... The weather forecast said that the highest temperature would be 16 (Fri), 16 (Sat) and 17 (Sun) but it was only 7 degrees when we landed!!! Personally, I really love the cold so it did not bother me much...

As promised, here are some pics...

This is my Hunny and I on the plane to Melbourne!!! (I only fell asleep at about 2.30 am that morning and had to leave the house by 6 am... so tired!)

This is the aerial view of Melbourne as we were coming in for landing. How beautiful is this!!! My very first aerial photos!! After checking into the hotel, our first priority was to visit the infamous Victorian Markets... in my personal opinion, the place was huge (located in the city), there were beautiful architecture and some stalls sold interesting things but overall, they were way over-priced...

After that, we proceeded to walk through the CBD... and came to the Rialto Tower, Melbourne's tallest building, equipped with an observation deck, providing 360 degree views!!!

On the left:This is the Crowne Plaza Casino as taken from the top of the observation deck of the Rialto Tower. It was absolutely breath-taking!

On the right: This photo was also taken from the Rialto Tower... Look at all that rain coming down from just one cloud!

We went to Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary Park, located near the Yarra Valley (where Melbourne's wine is produced)... It is kinda like an average zoo but with mostly native animals. Most wildlife sanctuaries in Australia enables visitors to interact with the animals... That's what makes it so cool!!!

However, most animals are kept away from human contact to ensure their survival and protect the humans! How cute is this Koala! The one animal that is allowed to run free is the wallaby... It looks exactly like a kangaroo but only smaller. A wallaby has sharp claws like a kangaroo but for some unknown reason, they seen quite docile.

All wildlife sanctuaries in Australia are designed to look like the animals' natural habitat. This little stream was also found within the sanctuary... I hate reptiles and amphibians, so guess what? No photos of them!!!

This is the Yarra Valley... We had an amazing lunch overlooking this view. It is an extremely calm and serene environment. The air is crisp and fresh and all the leaves are turning red... It was a beautiful sight... Time to start the wine tasting!

The Yarra Valley is similar to the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, I suppose. However, there is a different 'feel' to the place. It is a very romantic place to be... I will definitely return to this magical place...

I have tried my utmost to capture the beauty of the Yarra and I think these are the only photos that does justice to my efforts!!!