Brain Workout

Australia has a Byzantine-sized tax system. That is my only conclusion after flipping pages and pages of legislation to complete a seemingly deceptive simple assignment. Just take one part to do with Salary Packaging, the what-on-earths you can package, and just a zillion-billion pages just on packaging and using of cars.

You know how one can reduce unemployment in a country? By producing inefficiencies, coupled that with mammoth-size complexities, you have created a few more headcounts for the HR and payroll department.

'Priscilla'-my imaginary troublesome employee-to-be beckons.


Salary Packaging

Graduation Time

I can't write today's events without throwing in this cliche- that it seemed like yesterday when I met Cindy and Clara. Cindy was sitting 2 seats from me at a pre-departure briefing 2 years ago. Then Clara's name popped out even before she arrived.

Now, both have finished their course. How time flies.

I didn't attend my own convocation last year, because I was quite sure I'll be absolutely bored myself. Not too sure if I want to attend the one that's coming up, because other than the light refreshments served, I'm not too sure if all the name-calling is going to entice me. That being said, isn't convocation something that is more gratifying to parents than to students themselves? Of course, if I can gather a bunch of people in the name of good fun, like how my soci and geog group did it in NUS, posing on rooftops, I wouldn't mind donning that gown again.


They were all very tall today...

The Photo-Session 

Clara and Cindy 

New House

Finally, after 2 months of house-hunting, we announce the arrival of our latest baby. The call from the housing agent finally arrived and it got me jumping. We were getting quite numb to this housing application process, having plotted hard for the unit at North Melbourne, yet hearing the "Eh.. you are not the successful applicants'. Until today, I can't say there are any specific tips to house-hunting, but just perservere and pray hard.

Situated along a wide leafy road on a side street of Carlton, where a nice cup of coffee is within a couple of minutes walk, the house has reasonable size rooms (read: less effort to clean) and a nice courtyard good for a BBQ of 6. While clothesline are probably going to be the likely feature, I had my daydreams of a herb garden and a garden table for 4.

Even before getting the keys to the house, I've already made my trip to Ikea. Couldn't decide on whether to buy a single or queen-sized bed because the rooms are not that huge. But savouring those delicious layouts from the 2006 Ikea Catalogue have tempted me to get a queen-size bed. It's strange because I used to share my single bed with my stuff toys, few pillows and my cat back home, without feeling cramp. Now that I have none of the above, I can imagine using the other side of the queen bed as a study-table/laptop console/side-table.....

I love houses... love to have one that choose to stay in... love the idea of decorating it... love to imagine how it'll look like...

Back to reality. School has commenced for 2 weeks and I'm quite glad with how the classes are turning out. The contents seemed to have improved, and the people more familar. I actually found group discussions enjoyable with the current group of people I'm working with. God's grace I think... it was nothing of this sort for the last semester.

Good night...gotta study a bit and wake up for church tomorrow.

Our House