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 

School's Started... Sigh...

Finally loaded up some of my pics taken back home with my camera phone. The resolution is getting less to be desired, with a longer exposure needed for low light, and hence shaky pictures. Still, I can't resist posting up a picture of my little niece Kalynn, whom I've finally met over Chinese New Year. She's a great baby, allowing everyone to carry her, grabbing the cat's head, and letting me rock her to sleep.

On the Melbourne front, I'm finally back and stayed with Ching for 2 weeks at Cardigan St, before moving back to my old place. No luck with house-hunting, and we'll waiting for the dust to settle before we strike again.

Baby Niece

Pick of the Week

Day number too-many-to-count of house hunting. The search goes on with more shortlists and applications, not to mention, disappointment with our misses, and revelations of dodgy agents.

The perfect house will look like this:
1. 2 Bed Rooms (with no water heater hidden inside one of the wardrobes)
2. Walking distance to Uni (preferbly rolling distance)
3. 2 Bathrooms (with working ventilation fan)
4. 2 car ports (for Daiz's car and 1 car-to-be)
5. Near to Trams (but far enough to not hear the ching ching ching)

But since there isn't such a house to my knowledge, I've selected my pick of the week while looking for temporary housing:

"We (german girl 25, australian guy 27, cute cat 1) are looking for a 3rd house mate to share a lovely 2 storey house with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, in Carlton. The perfect housemate would: - love cats (or at least not dislike them!) - be friendly and open minded - be reliable - clean up after themselves - have a good sense of humour! The house will be available from mid February and rent is roughly 600AU$ per month. If you think this sounds like you, I'd love to hear from you!!"

Will it surprise them if I wanted to stay with the 'cute cat' only?

Dreams of the Disappearing Kind

Jamie and I talked about dreams today. Not the nocturnal kind, but the ones that your idols are made of. My idol of the day/month/year have so far range widely from the great cook/activist Jamie Oliver, my uni Geography lecturer, and ER actor Anthony Edwards for his real-life role in helping kids.

It was my dream to go to Canada or the U.S to do a thesis in Geography after I graduated. I still remember, McGill in Montreal, and 2 others I applied in the US. While the rest of my peers were perfecting their resumes and going for interviews, I was baby-sitting a class of naughty P2 ACS boys and mugging hard for my GRE. It must be a laspe of bad memory that I found myself negotiating my salary for my first job. I did go to Montreal and US, but as a happy tourist as I walked around the grounds of dreams that I had to leave aside for. Dreams, I told myself, can wait.

Now, as I stand at the crossroads contemplating an accounting career in Melbourne, I cannot help but to withdraw my imaginary measuring tape, and figure out how far I have deviated from my dreams.

Funny how Jamie asked,"Is it possible to go back to pursuing it?" It kind of left me momentarily wondering. "Maybe when I'm retired and bored". But then, am I not likely to be pandering to 2 cats, tending to my herbs and visiting my grandkids at that age?

For those interested in why the lament, my days in Singapore are numbered once again, and academic days end in 4 months. I need to know where I'll like to be, and what I'll do.

This One Really Cracked Us Up

According to the Times Higher Education Supplement, The University of Melbourne is ranked 22 internationally. I'm not a ranking guru, but can say with a 99% confidence that one of those criteria used was 'Staff's Humour'. I've sat through numerous classes where humour usually borders sacarsm, so those cannot be considered in pure academic integrity. After all, you are talking about 75% foreign students, out of which, 50% come from a country whose first nor second nor the nth language of instruction is not english.

The Background:
This summer's Business Finance course is on and the exam is stated to be on 14 Feb (Valentines Day) and a student emailed her concerns to the lecturer and this is the reply... mass mailed to all students...

The Email Exchange:
Student: Excuse me, can we shift our exam time one day earlieron Feburary 13th? It’s valentine's day on Feburary 14th.
thanks for regard!
happy new year and best wishes!

Lecturer:
Dear Li,

This is such an important question that I felt that it would be important to answer to all students who may be affected by the very serious predicament of an exam being held on the morning of Valentines Day. Hence:

Dear all students (and especially those who may be romantically involved with another),

In setting the exam date for corporate finance I thought long and hard about the impact of it coinciding with Valentines Day. Would exam preparation be affected by shopping for perfume, flowers or the latest Anthony Callea cd? What about young lovers who planned on meeting for an early morning latte, a sugar-coated biscotti and a sharing of the Age's Epicure section at Brunetti's? Isn't life hard enough without having all the joy of the international day of lovers taken away by some cold-hearted academic eager to finish the exam period off and get to his summer chalet in Dromana? For who was I to stand in the way of young love, for wasn't I also young once?

With grim resolve, steely determination, a stiff upper lip, a hand of fate, a nose for trouble, a tennis elbow and an eye for detail I put forward my claim on behalf of the lovestruck to the Grand Poobah of exam timetabling: "He-who-must-not-be-named-but-who-enjoys-setting-exams-for-large-classes-late-in-the-exam-period-so-as-to-frustrate-lecturers-in-charge".

In his infinite wisdom he replied:

"But Sean, what of our students of Italian, Chinese or Brazilian origin? For surely you know that in ancient Rome it was the festival of Lupercus, the god of fertility that was celebrated by young lovers on the 15th (not the 14th) of February. In China, Valentines day is superceded by "The Night of Sevens" (being the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar calender) and in Brazil, June 12th marks the date of celebrating "Dia dos Namorados" (lit. "Day of the enamored", or "Boyfriend's/Girlfriend's Day"). Surely my friend, you are not suggesting that we alienate young lovers from each of these other important members of the university community?" [Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine's_Day]

So, with head bowed and with great contrition I apologised to "He-who-must-not etc" for interrupting his musings on whether to set the next lot of the exams under the clocks at Flinders Street Station, in the Great Southern Stand at the MCG or in the roundabout on the corner of Elizabeth street and Royal Parade and returned to my office.

Students, and (specifically Li) know this: I fought law and the law won, you have to know when to hold and know when to fold them, love is a battlefield. Now it is up to you to put it behind you, to show that true love can't be beaten by a three hour exam, even with an additional 15 minutes reading time.

Study hard friends.

Dr Sean "No-problem-too-small-(apparently)" Pinder

(Disclaimer: No offense to Dr Pinder, who opened my eyes to the world of finance, and kept me effectively wide awake for 3 hours every week)

It's Chinese New Year Season!

I carry a mobile phone for the wrong reasons. Other than using it to listen to music and take pictures for the blog, I usually keep it turned off. That's because it also not my local line.

Went with mum to Chinatown to soak in the atmosphere, and half-pretending to shop around like a curious tourist. Usually you'll have to harrass me to come down during this season to jostle with the crowd, but being away for 2 years just makes you shed away all the age old biases you have for a place, and start to look at it with newfound curiousity.

It's also my horrible excuse to drag mum to my favourite dumpling shop at the end of the jaunt.

Tickets to Krabi are going for a ridiculous low price, and after ten rounds of email, we're deciding on fishing and wine instead.

On the Melbourne front, Daiz is helping with the inspections and applications (muuuuak!) and I'm the armchair apartment searcher. One application is already in, and I'm praying reeeeal hard. It'll be a first if we get it- first inspection and securing it. I'll be secretly laughing.

The Chinese New Year lights in Chinatown

Crowded Chinatown during Chinese New Year period 

Lots of waxed goods- ducks, pigs and chinese sausages. 

Catties Everywhere!

While most people stop to smell the flowers, I stop to pat a couple of cute kitties along the Singapore River yesterday. Was on my way out of Fullerton Hotel to meet a friend, I saw the cutest pair of lazy cats sleeping on a raised platform with the bum-boat driver. It was a warm afternoon, but those cats paid no attention to the tourists who were quietly amused with them sprawling across what is meant for people whose feet needed a rest after their afternoon saunter.

I was pretty excited, knowing that the fake bronze kucintas sit about 100m away. "Could this be the work of STB to try to make things a little more realistic?"... my catty fren (she's not catty, she just own cats) said it's not. Sigh...

I sat with the ginger cat, stroking him for 20 mins before I could tear myself off him.

There are 2 cats in this pic.

Cat along Singapore River 

Re-pierced ears

The last time I pierced my ears, it was in the moment of impulse. It was during JC days, and I was shopping around with a friend and we decided to get our ears pierced. However, we had a crazy rambo-like PE teacher who didn't allow earrings during her PE classes, so I had to take it out. Soon after, I had the momentary thought that my ears were too big, so I let the holes close.

Take it couple of years later, I finally decided to celebrate the new year with a re-pierce. Strange it felt more scary this time, which I'll lamely attribute to age. By the way, trust no one when they say it feels like an 'ant bite', because how many of us urbanites have ever been bitten by an ant? By the way, since they never ever specify what type of ant, it can be as fierce as a fire ant bite.

But all in all, I can now look forward to wearing the pair of pearl earrings that the cell group posted to me.

Found a dress for Olivia's wedding, yippee! I'm still obsessed over a pair of silver strappy heels.

Going to have my favourite prawn noodles tomorrow, heavenly.... Actually I don't really bother about the noodles or the prawns, but the orange colour soup is a must; I'm anal about it.

Before sleep beckons, I'm going to catch Lost Episode 10! Maybe if I'm evil enough, I should write a spoiler, because I know there are some fans out there reading this.

Cameron Highlands

It was a deja vu weekend with 'The Tribe', a group of ex-colleagues who shared many great moments and trips together. The annual tribe meeting saw us going to Cameron Highlands in West Malaysia, about 2 hours drive northwards from KL. The 12-hour rainy trip up proved to me that I am no longer young, the high-pitched screeching of the window wipers kept me awake most of the time.

For the next 2 days, we indulged in a rather educational tour of endless farms, nurseries, plantations in the day, and steamboat dinners, durian at the night markets and hot chocolate at night. It brought back great memories of the trips we took to the kelong, Langkawi, Bangkok, and although some of us have left the job, the quirkiness of all of us remains.

Times like these make me feel like remaining back home, but precious are the times that are spent in quality, and too much will render things mundane. That makes time spent with family and friends more meaningful, knowing that it'll be time to say goodbye again.

It took me one month to complete meeting up with most of my friends, and now I'm back to slack mode again. Getting ready to return in feb, got to buy the textbooks, psych myself up for sandwich lunches, short daylights and car-less days.


Vines of Tomatoes

Freshly made scones with strawberry and cream @ Ye Olde Smokehouse 

Terraces of Water Cress 

The self-deluded... or plain liar?

Are jerks capable of being nice?

I have a friend who's co-worker is a well-loved guy in this country. In a newspaper article we uncovered, we read that his previous relationships all lasted less then a year. While we savour the gossip, we both held our silence about how good a person he is, or at least, as a boyfriend.

I have been reading another friend's blog without him knowing. It's quite harrowing because he's a self-confessed jerk, has shown qualities of one, and to my knowledge, has been one. Yet in this infrequent blog entries, he writes his heatfelt feelings about the plight of the poor, the sick and the needy. I can't say he's writing this to impress, because his blog is largely unpublicised, but I cannot seem to reconcile which is the true him.

Which leaves me to conclude.... are these people self-deluded or just plain wolf in sheep's clothing? Or can jerks be nice too?

As the world lay silent

Happy New Year!

Sitting at the pews of the watchnight service, I couldn't help feeling a little gleeful about bidding farewell to 2005. It was not the worse year, but it was divided into a great half and a depressing other half. Like a promising-looking cake with a burnt bottom, it was hard to dump, yet you know keeping it there would hardly serve any purpose.

So while I have not made any new year's resolution, I can only joyfully believe that 2006 is only going to be better, or at least, clearer. The good thing about growing one year older is that you know you move further away from the crossroads, into a path where things are much more focused.

Since I've came home, I've only had dinner at home twice. Which makes me wonder what the world have I been doing...

Things I'll love to do and have done:
1) Feasted on durians
2) Went to Chomp Chomp and conquered the wanton mee, chwee kueh and sting ray all in one sitting.
3) Had tonnes of teh terik in Simpang Bedok, Tampines, Adam Road, Bedok Army Camp...
4) Shopped from 2pm to 10pm
5) Talk to my cat to death
6) Change my clothes 3 times a day and not having to worry who's washing and ironing.
7) Finished 10 vcds within a span of 24 hours

Things that I'll love to do and have not done:
1) Jog from Kembangan to East Coast Park and thereafter to Parkway to have a nice fruit juice
2) Have a picnic at the beach
3) Bring the cat for a walk and plant some catnip for him
4) Have kaya roti breakfast with friends (if i can even wake up)
5) Seafood! (I don't care where and what kind)

For those who are like me, either slacking behind those screen of yours, yes, you who is seemingly looking busy at work, check out http://home.planet.nl/~Qwyzzle, thanks to Yuan who decided to ruin a major part of my holiday by sending me this.

Write me on my blog when you reach Level 20 or 30. I swear there's a level 100... so don't start it if you do not have the patience (or brains.. hahhaha).

Cheerios, and hope your new year will be filled with Hope, Faith and Love.

I Didn't Kiss the Ground, but I had..

1 Chinese Onion Pancake
4 Steamed Meat Buns
Few pieces of Deep Fried Dough Fritters with Cuttlefish Stuffings
Hot and Sour Soup Noodles

Burp...

I'm back in the familiar arms of food in Singapore. Had the above for dinner just now, and walking through throngs of merry shoppers in Orchard Road with a bulging stomach-the epitomy of a happy Singaporean.

Not to mention a friend decided to drop by with a log of fruit cake, baked fresh from the oven.

Pardon me (burp again) for not updating the blog. I am currently deprived of my inseparable partner- Mr Broadband- and have to make do with the dial-up mistress. That makes everything a chore, but it gives me good reason to weane off this terrible habit and get a real life.

Which I have... downing tonnes of coffee and teh terik.

I passed my exams! (Thank you God!) That means there's no excuse not to go through another 4 months of debits and credits, and bid adios to the land of numbers.

Three things I miss of Melbourne- the weather (yes yes yes), my church (including corny croatian-aussie pastor and his wife), and my bed next to the big window. Which reminds me, I've moved out-done in faith- that when I returned, I'll be able to settle my housing.

(Skip this part if you are not a kitty lover) Oh yes, I'm reunited with my boy. But that means waking up every night at some odd hour to let him out of the room. And I've missed him so much that I've allowed him to take over my quilt, at the risk of catching a chill. He's been really lonely and no one talks to him. And I'm re-reading Lynne Truss's Making the Cat Laugh, compliments of the new National Library in Bras Brasah.

Have you ever blog in Chinese? At 1am one night, I decided to throw myself a challenge, to reach the deepest recesses of my brain for my 'hanyu pinyin' ability. I rate myself 3/10 at first try, having to resort to Babel Fish for some words to complete a simple paragraph.

In a nutshell, I've been doing nothing really significant but sleeping late every night. I'm aspiring to chart out a decent plan for the remaining days tomorrow.

Meow!

Exams are Over!

Finally the dreaded period is over! When the group went down to Williamstown for fish and chips after church last Sunday before my last paper, I was already half into the celebratory mood. But alas, the last paper was rather 'bewildering', with horrendous typos that I had to call the examiner to confirm the words (think cut and paste, and made mistakes with editing), and most of all, I even had time to think about life.

So again, as the daylight lasts longer, the few of us headed down to Mornington Peninsular. We did some cherry picking (or rather, cherry tasting), a winery lunch, skip rocks at the Acrombe Maze and enjoy the sea breeze at Cape Schank.

Times like these, I really love the cell group, love Melbourne. I'm saying this because there might be a chance I might just make the last exams my very last. This trip back home should throw things into perspective a little.

But still, I'm welcoming the holidays with wide open arms!!!

Cape Schank

Acrombe Maze 

Ching and Pete picking cherries 

Cat or Husband

A friend of mine found this on ebay. And I was still telling him that afternoon that I have made the promise to my 19 year old moggie that I'll not marry anyone who will not love him (the cat). Looks like I'm not the only one thinking this way.

Cat or Husband- My Sentiments

I Really Hate Numbers

This has to be divine confirmation, I can't do numbers for the world. Paper number 2 on Management Accounting was a disaster, and I'll be happy to be given 49.5 (rounded to the nearest ten), and pass. I've done my part, did 2 rounds of 3am in Bailieu library the nights before, plus decent rounds of practising.

Surprisingly I wasn't the least depressed after the paper, considering I had no time to even attempt 37 marks of the paper.

On the flip side, I got an sms from my finance assignment partner at midnight regarding our assignment. It says that we got one of the highest marks. I was nursing a bad case of stomach flu then, and replied with a obligatory 'oh, good work!' type of sms.

Only this morning did I discovered, OH MY GOD.. we did indeed get the highest, ahead of the walking oriental calculators in class. And if you seriously looked at the way we went about doing it in a let's-get-this-out-of-the-way manner (we completed the assignment 1 week before the deadline, my first record), you know how I feel when I saw the marks in disbelief. It's again a divine revelation that I can WRITE and REASON and ANALYSE, but give me a calculator and you're better off giving it to my cat to add.

That being said, I have lots of thank God for in this time of exams.

1)For the everyday pals whom you meet routinely for coffee, for mugging together, talking about the everyday mundane stuff that gets you through.

2)For a special friend who has appeared so timely, drove me to Chapel St for a coffee at midnight when I was sad, and appeared at my door when I was sick. For changing how Friday nights are spent, and just trudging life with me.

3)For the person who appears and says the right thing at the right time, for praying with me and whose presence is always downright assuring.

4)For the night babe who chats with me, the day babe who reads my email...

5)To the lovely couple staying behind me, who fed me well not for the return of my mediocre company, but for the of love for a quiet and company-deprived sister.

This list of by no means exhaustive, just something to think about on a Saturday morning, when you just had the crappiest exam 2 days ago, the pukiest illness, and a harrowing subject that beckons you to study. Such thoughts keep me alive. God loves me.

1 Down, 3 to Go

I have this imaginary thought running too many times today: When I finally touch down at Changi Airport, I'll kiss the ground.

I'm not patriotic, but I do feel a longing to be home this time. And I'll be back on Dec 3, to reunite to the familarity of friends and family. I thank God for the friends I have here, but maybe it's the culture of 'let's go out now' (and having your own wheels) that I miss really much.

Part of the reason why I'm saying this is because I'm bugged with 3 more papers, all I'll gladly exchange a pass grade for it if they exempt me from the exams. The conclusion is: no interest= no pride = no outcome to be proud of.

Speaking of studying, the library at 3am did turn into quite a commune- everyone's relatively nice to everyone. I get smiles when I come out of the toilet, the guys outside playing soccer at midnight. there's a quiet buzz as all the last-minute crammers huddle together to run their last lap.

Soon, I'll be home...

Time Out

This picture doesn't do the cupcake any justice, because yours truly has greedily chomped off half of it, before going 'oops, it WAS so pretty!'. You have to imagine the other half of it, plus the creamy icing.

Welcome to Richmond Hill Cafe and Larder, where the highlight is a mini cheesery in the cafe. Cindy, Kwok and I set a date to savour the Roquefort Cheese, after Australia finally gave the green light for it to be imported into the country. But the desperatecheesos got ahead of us, and so we got happy with a cheese platter of Fourme D'ambert, Livarot and a UK Cheddar. Took away a cupcake each... burp!

I'm hard at work, in case you are wondering.

Richmond Hill Cafe and Larder Cupcake

As the weather turns warm...

There's this commonality between Melbourne flies and its people. They start buzzing out when the weather turns warm. During my one-day break from the library, the supposed dress-hunt for daisy turned out to be a walk in the park, literally. It was sunny and you have two aimless people walking around the city. It wasn't too long before we decided a trip to the Botanical Gardens will do us good. The last time I was there with Terence, was (gasp), a year ago!

Oh yes, yours truly turned one year older on 5th Oct. There were celebrations with Olivia and Evie, Adeline who got me flowers and cake! And of course due credit must also go to Cindy, who trudged down the streets looking for a cake to take-away, and surprising me outside Union House. And belated cakes from Peter and Ching, from a new friend Adele; a treat from Daisy and Clara!

Of course these are the times you remember those you would had celebrated your birthday with had you been back home. I received a parcel from my cell group from home, another one from my 3 month old niece (or rather, my sis-in-law trying to write on behalf of her), calls and emails from my ex-colleagues, primary school friends... Am I blessed or what!

Now that I have taken stock... I'm suddenly comforted. Had been also ridiculously stressed by the avalanche of assignments and all I can think of is the holidays to come. 3 Dec, reunion date with my pals back home and the cha kuay teow, not to mention my dear ah boy.


Self-maddening indulgence

Spring Break!

There are only a few things that sum up my 2 week Spring break. I have made the Legal Resource Centre my second home, hailed Kwok as a legal savior, went on a literal guilt trip to the Mornington and finally started the new school week.

The legal assignment was a mega slap in the face for sitting through class without understanding much. Had to cramp 32 hours worth of lectures into 5 days. My answered prayer came in the form of Kwok, who provided the pro bono legal aid. Clara, don't forget the estoppels and fiduciary duties! (And Cindy, come back and mug with us!)

But we had our fun though, went to Pancake Parlour one night after a disgusting long day at the library till 11pm. It was a post-mugging treat, and the candied walnut and canadian pancakes compensated for the hard work.

Time really flies, and this is probably the most geeky Spring break that I've experienced. At least I know that Winter has bade farewell, and the weather can only be better.

The flies are already making their cameo.

Received a few pressies from friends back home... always nice to come home after a long hard day to a nice little package lying on your table.

After mugging treat

Mugging in the law library 

Portsea- Mornington Peninsular 

Stinky Sweet

Life is sometimes like that durian gelati along Lygon Street, it is stinky sweet. Sweet because it's finally the long-awaited 2 weeks Spring break, stinky because it is laden with truckloads of assignments and group meetings.

The frequent visitors will noticed that I have been blogging less, because sometimes the things you want to say are just too personal to be telling the whole world. But the bigger reason being that work is piling, and I'd rather interface with some decent human beings over a cup of coffee than the laptop screen.

That day after the fateful cup of Teh Terik at Bismi, I ended up lying on my bed till 3am. Was transported to a solitary bench among the wilderness. Suddenly, God came by and sat on the other side, about an arm's length. It felt like he came to make himself available to me, expecting me to say something. I thought long and hard, yet I can't bring myself to do or say anything. It's like we had a fight and I'm choosing to be quiet, or either that, we are like good friends who do can sit by in silence and yet enjoy each other's company. Could feel my eyelashes were a little wet before I drifted off to sleep.

What would you do if God came by and shared a bench alongside you?

Durian Gelati (far right) @ El Freddo Doche. Taken by my new camera phone. Yeah!

Things that Stuff Up in Melbourne

Found this on a fren of a fren's blog. He found this notice pasted on his apartment lobby after living there for 4 years. The joke is that now he has to change every address that he has given, including bills, driver's license.. basically it's as good as moving house.

Things that stuff up in melbourne...

I'm writing on stuff ups because I braved a sleepy windy rainy morning to scoot down to immigration only to have Tom-the-gay-guy-behind-the-counter giving me a lousy analogy for not bringing my passport. In the end, it was a wasted trip, and I would have been better off sleeping in.

I've been watching so little TV I might be able to qualify for regional/country status. House M.D has been the consolation on Wed nights as I forget about my academic weariness for a full 60 minutes. If I have to choose anyone to marry in the show, it has to be Dr House (and not that aussie bloke). I am intrigued by his aversion to social relationships, his in-your-face one liners, and possibly that hint of cynicism that makes his character rather real. Of course the show has its own issues:

1)If your loved one has a neurological condition that requires surgery that will lead to him losing his memory (including memories of you) in order to prolong his life by a few years, would you give your blessings? Or would you rather have him live half that number of years with the full knowledge of who you are, and what you did.

I'll choose the former, to be in possession of the imperfect is better than losing the perfection.

Stuff Up

What is Your Elvish Name

In another pathetic attempt to do a commentary on the adoption of International Accounting Standards and whatever GAAP, ABCDEFG, I found myself wandering into yet another realm of things.

My name is Drogo Overhill of Nobottle, at least in a Hobbit sense. My Elvish name is Fingon Fëfalas, which sounds like a familiar greek dish. Check out yours in The Hobbit Name Generator .

I have been googled! And it's unfair when the other party has a name that is impossible to google. Wait till I get that name out, because I pride myself at being a google queen.

Back to the IAS, IASB, IFRS, EFGHIJKLMN...

Too Little Play

Have been into tv-ish songs these days. The Melancholic steak in me working up amidst finishing up my finance homework. All studies and little play makes Wen a cranky woman.

X&Y (Coldplay)
Trying hard to speak
And fighting with my weak hand
Driven to distraction
It's all part of the plan

When something is broken
And you try to fix it
Trying to repair it
Any way you can

I dive in at the deep end
You become my best friend
I wanna love you
but I don't know if I can

I know something is broken and
I'm trying to fix it
Trying to repair it anyway I can

Maybe somedays you should just take a backseat, have a cup of latte, read the papers, and let someone else do the repairing.

Another one... check out "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane. Featured in Grey's Anatomy.

God, grant me the strength...

If I am an animal, I'm probably a duck. They apparently do not go about alone. But this week, I am most likely a cat who seeks her own comfortable space.

I had an outpouring of 'questions' this week, to account for basically everything I do and don't do (i.e, skipping class). For those whose last trip to a lecture was eons ago, skipping class equals bad student, leech-status group member, absolute no-no. To account for my continued absence in Singapore, I've also finally sent a mass email to some friends telling them about my delayed return to quell the neccessary but incessant "when-are-you-coming-back"s.

I skipped Corporate Accounting to get some solitude. The weather's been fine and I decided to camp in a North Melbourne cafe just to be quiet. The chocolate ring and flat white turned out to be more inspiring than sitting through another clueless absorption of some Aussie Accounting Standards.

Was it an early signal that 1 month ago, I was sitting there in the Hillsongs Conference hearing all about Strength? Because that is surely something I do with in huge proportions right now. I need to continue to persevere in love and in joy.

Meanwhile, hugs for the week going out to Sha (for helping me with finance homework), Nel (for the sweet card), Cindy (for listening to my endless whinges), Clara (for missing out on her B'day celebrations)...

I miss normal life.

Pic taken at Hillsongs

Things that Make Me Go Ohh... (Part 1)

In case you think I've gone mad, I am fully stressed right now with my accounting course. You heard it right, the social sciences/marketing madhat turned numeric. It's been 3 weeks and I am adequately lost to feel utterly demoralised.

So while I am nodding off trying to read my Cost Management notes, I cannot help but to escape into the happy recesses of my mind. Happy thoughts...

So here it is, I had this in the apartment in Sydney (a full stainless-steel version), decided that a Dishdrawer is my favourite innovative kitchen piece, since it departs from the washing-machine format and is half the size. Pulls out like a real drawer, has a rinse-only function (+10 others), and emits a melodious electronic beep when you open it.

Back to the notes, Happy thoughts...

The Fisher and Paykel Dishdrawer

When You Only Had Love to Give

Have you ever love someone for his imperfections? I know it sounds a little bizarre, but have you love someone for what he can be, and not what he is?

(Cries of 'Denial' hurling my way)

I don't know which is more beautiful, to be with someone perfect, or to be there to witness the goodness blooming in him. I chose the latter. I love the movies of the human spirit, how the weak triumph during times of iniquities. I love those soundtracks where the orchestra plays it to the crescendo in the scenes- think ala Truman Show in the last scene, the bittersweet feeling of triumph over your own weaknesses.

To my favourite person who is in his solo battle- the person whom I love the wrong side up, the one who challenged my boundaries of giving and receiving- I hope you will one day understand that you only need to wait it out, and things around you need not be as hard on you as it seems.

"Nothing you can do, can make Him love you more
And nothing that you've done, can make Him close the door
Because of His great love, He gave His only Son
And everything was done so you would come"


Someone You Could Talk To