Little bro turns 21 in June but sometimes we still treat him like he is 12. This is evident in our family conversations. He mentioned over dinner that he was planning a camping trip at the Wilson Promontory. Here's our advices that we kindly dished out to him:
Dad: Do not pitch your tent next to the sea
Mum: Do not touch bugs
Me: Do not start your journey at night. You should pitch your tent when there's daylight
Mum: Do not dive (head first) into the river
Little bro wasn't happy. He retorted that he will make sure that waves crash into his tent, he will pick up every caterpillar he finds, dive into a river that's saturated with fishing hooks hanging from fishing lines and start his journey at 8.30 pm.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Riverland Bar and Cafe
I spent two hours of my night tonight at this place. It's one of my favourite places to drink beer or coffee (more often beer rather than coffee). Tonight was the perfect night for it. The air was still, the temperature was slightly chilly but not cold enough to warrant a jacket and surprisingly, there was a vibrancy in the air, even though it was a Wednesday. Perhaps the good temperature drew the crowds out.
This bar-cum-cafe is located near Federation Square, adjacent to the yarra river (hence the name, Riverland) The decoration provides a very laid-back atmosphere. The outside is filled with rows of picnic-style wooden tables and benches. Its simple interior/exterior suit the atmosphere perfectly. It's a great place to just chill. It's not flashy at all and it's not a place that you feel a need to dress up for.
I like this picture because it seemed like the waiter was posing for us. Unfortunately, he is not in focus.
Riverland Bar and Cafe
Location: Federation Wharf (near Federation Square)
Opening times: Monday-Sunday, 7 am till late
Price Range: Main meals under $20
When: Monday - Sunday, 7am til late
Phone: +61 3 9662 1771
This bar-cum-cafe is located near Federation Square, adjacent to the yarra river (hence the name, Riverland) The decoration provides a very laid-back atmosphere. The outside is filled with rows of picnic-style wooden tables and benches. Its simple interior/exterior suit the atmosphere perfectly. It's a great place to just chill. It's not flashy at all and it's not a place that you feel a need to dress up for.
I like this picture because it seemed like the waiter was posing for us. Unfortunately, he is not in focus.
Riverland Bar and Cafe
Location: Federation Wharf (near Federation Square)
Opening times: Monday-Sunday, 7 am till late
Price Range: Main meals under $20
When: Monday - Sunday, 7am til late
Phone: +61 3 9662 1771
Joke book
A long, long time ago, someone bought me a joke book for my birthday. He bought it because he said I didn't make good jokes and should memorize some, you know, to make more friends at a party or something.
Anyway, I rediscovered the joke book that was buried under all my other books on the bookshelf. Here are a few jokes:
How do you fix a woman's watch?
You don't. There's a clock on the oven.
How many men does it take to open a beer?
None. It should already be opened when she brings it.
If your dog is barking at the back door and your wife is yelling at the front door, who do you let in first?
The dog, of course. He'll shut up once you let him in.
haha. I'm painfully aware that I'm female and this is degrading to my own sex. So here's some for the benefit of us women:
How many men does it take to change a roll of toilet paper?
Nobody knows, it has never happened.
The man said, "I don't know why you wear a bra; you've got nothing to put in it."
The woman said, "You wear pants don't you?"
While a woman was making breakfast one morning, her husband walked up to her and pinched her bottom and said, "You know, if you firmed this up we could get rid of your girdle."
Despite being annoyed, the woman bit her tongue and kept silent. THe next morning, the man woke his wife up by pinching her on the breast and said, "You know, if you firmed these up, we could get rid of your bra."
This time, should could not stay silent. Rolling over, she grabbed her husband's penis and said, "You know, if you firmed this up we could get rid of the postman, the gardener, the pool cleaner and your brother!"
Anyway, I rediscovered the joke book that was buried under all my other books on the bookshelf. Here are a few jokes:
How do you fix a woman's watch?
You don't. There's a clock on the oven.
How many men does it take to open a beer?
None. It should already be opened when she brings it.
If your dog is barking at the back door and your wife is yelling at the front door, who do you let in first?
The dog, of course. He'll shut up once you let him in.
haha. I'm painfully aware that I'm female and this is degrading to my own sex. So here's some for the benefit of us women:
How many men does it take to change a roll of toilet paper?
Nobody knows, it has never happened.
The man said, "I don't know why you wear a bra; you've got nothing to put in it."
The woman said, "You wear pants don't you?"
While a woman was making breakfast one morning, her husband walked up to her and pinched her bottom and said, "You know, if you firmed this up we could get rid of your girdle."
Despite being annoyed, the woman bit her tongue and kept silent. THe next morning, the man woke his wife up by pinching her on the breast and said, "You know, if you firmed these up, we could get rid of your bra."
This time, should could not stay silent. Rolling over, she grabbed her husband's penis and said, "You know, if you firmed this up we could get rid of the postman, the gardener, the pool cleaner and your brother!"
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Krystin's birthday brunch
Saturday morning saw me at Krystin's birthday brunch. It was held at Von Haus, a quaint small cafe-cum-bar in Melbourne. Believe me when I say it was small. It was probably the size of my room. It had just one big communal table in the middle and a couple of wall benches complete with high wooden stools in the corners of the room. But that's exactly what I liked about this cafe. When I walked in, I thought, "This is just so MELBOURNE!" Melbourne is about its little cafes with GOOD coffees hidden in alleyways. Discovering a new hidden gem always sends a thrill of excitement up my spine. This is no exception.
Now, the thing about these hideaway cafes is that you always THINK you're the only one that knows about these hidden treasures. You keep them low-key and perhaps, whisper their names to a couple of intimate friends that you should share the good news with. Lo and behold, you soon realise that those cafes are not such a secret! Then you curse the food blogs and the papers that made you discover those cafes in the first place.
Honestly, I didn't manage to sample much of the food. I think I was too excited upon seeing people I have not met up with in a long, long time. Namely, law school friends. I had a mocha. It was pretty decent. I had some fruits off the fruit platter that Krystin ordered. I tried pomegranate for the first time. YES, first time! It was so yummy. Fruits aside, I didn't eat anything much else. I vouch to go back there again, and will give you guys a decent review.
Picture time
That's the large communal table
Lovely Krystin who looks so happy!
Tony was there as well
Krystin prepared party packs for all of us! In it were chocolates and a note written specifically for each one of us. I was so impressed. It almost felt like it was MY birthday. She's so thoughtful and generous! For most people, birthdays are about receiving. But Krystin was so selfless. She requested for no presents. Instead, if we wanted, we could partner with her and donate some money to specific charity funds that she has chosen.
Krystin, you are really inspirational. You have such a big heart, a laugh and smile that is contagious and you have so much love to give. Oh, and I always love reading your blog. Though sometimes, your fabulous writing puts me to shame. Thanks for everything. I thoroughly enjoyed our friendship. I still remember the day we spent together studying Administrative law. I was such a wreak that day. Without your help, I might not have even passed that subject (omg, another semester of law school. Kill me God) Looking back, it seems even sadistically funny. Remember how we kept complaining to each other about how we hate law school and how we are definitely going to fail this subject. And then we would both tell each other that no, we are not going to fail. We can and will pull through. Following which, we continued studying for another one hour before the vicious cycle repeats itself. That 15 hours with no breaks in between, not even for lunch or dinner, save two rushed toilet breaks, was probably one of the craziest days but I'm glad I went through that with you. haha. Happy birthday sweetie!
Von Haus
1a Crossley Street, Melbourne
(off Bourke St, between Exhibition St and Spring St)
Phone: (03) 9662 2756
Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-11pm, Sat 5pm-11pm
Now, the thing about these hideaway cafes is that you always THINK you're the only one that knows about these hidden treasures. You keep them low-key and perhaps, whisper their names to a couple of intimate friends that you should share the good news with. Lo and behold, you soon realise that those cafes are not such a secret! Then you curse the food blogs and the papers that made you discover those cafes in the first place.
Honestly, I didn't manage to sample much of the food. I think I was too excited upon seeing people I have not met up with in a long, long time. Namely, law school friends. I had a mocha. It was pretty decent. I had some fruits off the fruit platter that Krystin ordered. I tried pomegranate for the first time. YES, first time! It was so yummy. Fruits aside, I didn't eat anything much else. I vouch to go back there again, and will give you guys a decent review.
Picture time
That's the large communal table
Lovely Krystin who looks so happy!
Tony was there as well
Krystin prepared party packs for all of us! In it were chocolates and a note written specifically for each one of us. I was so impressed. It almost felt like it was MY birthday. She's so thoughtful and generous! For most people, birthdays are about receiving. But Krystin was so selfless. She requested for no presents. Instead, if we wanted, we could partner with her and donate some money to specific charity funds that she has chosen.
Krystin, you are really inspirational. You have such a big heart, a laugh and smile that is contagious and you have so much love to give. Oh, and I always love reading your blog. Though sometimes, your fabulous writing puts me to shame. Thanks for everything. I thoroughly enjoyed our friendship. I still remember the day we spent together studying Administrative law. I was such a wreak that day. Without your help, I might not have even passed that subject (omg, another semester of law school. Kill me God) Looking back, it seems even sadistically funny. Remember how we kept complaining to each other about how we hate law school and how we are definitely going to fail this subject. And then we would both tell each other that no, we are not going to fail. We can and will pull through. Following which, we continued studying for another one hour before the vicious cycle repeats itself. That 15 hours with no breaks in between, not even for lunch or dinner, save two rushed toilet breaks, was probably one of the craziest days but I'm glad I went through that with you. haha. Happy birthday sweetie!
Von Haus
1a Crossley Street, Melbourne
(off Bourke St, between Exhibition St and Spring St)
Phone: (03) 9662 2756
Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-11pm, Sat 5pm-11pm
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Letter to my future myself
Dear Jo (in the future),
Here's a letter from your younger self. I'm writing this on the 21st of March 2009. I'm feeling slightly tipsy right now - which is a pretty good feeling because I feel free from any inhibitions. I think I'm pretty fun when I'm tipsy because I talk more, laugh more and I'm definitely very honest. Ask me any question and I'll tell you no lies! Hopefully, you are like this too. Are you?
Anyway, the reason I'm writing this is to serve as a reminder. A reminder for what, you ask? A reminder that in your life, you've been pretty blessed. Remember the time, you prayed to God with all your heart that He will surround you with true, inspiring and genuine friends. Guess what, He did. He couldn't have done better because right now, I have pretty amazing friends in my life.
I've gone through many rough patches. I've done things I wished I didn't do. Things have happened that I wished didn't happen. But I know with all my heart that God from above is watching over me. I've met all these amazing people. Sometimes, I forget who they really are. Sometimes, we rub shoulders a little too often and I get irritated. But when I stand back, I realise that these people are so amazing. I've so much to learn from many of these individuals. They inspire me in so many ways. Through some, I've learnt the meaning of unconditional love. Through some, I've learnt how to forgive. I've learnt how to be more patient. I've learnt what it means to sacrifice. I've learnt what it means to think outside the box. I've learnt how to be less judgemental. In short, I've met so many amazing people.
Sometimes, I feel alone. Sometimes, I think no one cares or no one understands. How irrational can I get sometimes. So dear you, every time you feel this way, please refer to this letter that I'm writing to you now. Chances are, you'll feel this way sometimes. Hopefully, not very often. But when you do, know that God have answered your prayers once upon a time and He has placed wonderful people in your life. Sometimes, you have to look beyond the superficial differences and focus on their positive points. When I was 14, someone who was dear to me told me something important. He said, "Do not disregard anyone because there's always something to learn from someone.' I still battle with that but I'm trying. I realised that it's easier for me to be cynical now than when I was younger. So I figure that, it will probably be even easier for you to be cynical as you are older than I am. I'm hoping that didn't happen, did it? Well, remember to take care of your heart. Keep it soft. Remember, how blessed you are and life will seem a little easier.
Kind regards,
Joanne (21 March 2009)
Here's a letter from your younger self. I'm writing this on the 21st of March 2009. I'm feeling slightly tipsy right now - which is a pretty good feeling because I feel free from any inhibitions. I think I'm pretty fun when I'm tipsy because I talk more, laugh more and I'm definitely very honest. Ask me any question and I'll tell you no lies! Hopefully, you are like this too. Are you?
Anyway, the reason I'm writing this is to serve as a reminder. A reminder for what, you ask? A reminder that in your life, you've been pretty blessed. Remember the time, you prayed to God with all your heart that He will surround you with true, inspiring and genuine friends. Guess what, He did. He couldn't have done better because right now, I have pretty amazing friends in my life.
I've gone through many rough patches. I've done things I wished I didn't do. Things have happened that I wished didn't happen. But I know with all my heart that God from above is watching over me. I've met all these amazing people. Sometimes, I forget who they really are. Sometimes, we rub shoulders a little too often and I get irritated. But when I stand back, I realise that these people are so amazing. I've so much to learn from many of these individuals. They inspire me in so many ways. Through some, I've learnt the meaning of unconditional love. Through some, I've learnt how to forgive. I've learnt how to be more patient. I've learnt what it means to sacrifice. I've learnt what it means to think outside the box. I've learnt how to be less judgemental. In short, I've met so many amazing people.
Sometimes, I feel alone. Sometimes, I think no one cares or no one understands. How irrational can I get sometimes. So dear you, every time you feel this way, please refer to this letter that I'm writing to you now. Chances are, you'll feel this way sometimes. Hopefully, not very often. But when you do, know that God have answered your prayers once upon a time and He has placed wonderful people in your life. Sometimes, you have to look beyond the superficial differences and focus on their positive points. When I was 14, someone who was dear to me told me something important. He said, "Do not disregard anyone because there's always something to learn from someone.' I still battle with that but I'm trying. I realised that it's easier for me to be cynical now than when I was younger. So I figure that, it will probably be even easier for you to be cynical as you are older than I am. I'm hoping that didn't happen, did it? Well, remember to take care of your heart. Keep it soft. Remember, how blessed you are and life will seem a little easier.
Kind regards,
Joanne (21 March 2009)
Boulevard Re-Opening Night
I just got back from Boulevard. Tonight was its grand re-opening. As with all clubs in Melbourne, the queue was crazy! It almost seems like getting into a club is a novelty. We took 45 minutes to get in which is considerably short by Melbourne standards. Initially I thought they weren't allowing people inside because it was too packed (fire regulation reasons). However, I peeped inside and spoke to the bouncers. Apparently, the long line was due to the hold up at the payment counter. This proves one of two things: 1) They have a terribly inefficient payment system OR 2) The long queue was intentional to hype up the club. Seriously, there were many more people outside than inside.
They had only three people handling the payments. Seriously, so inefficient! I saw many people leave the queue to head to other clubs. What a lost of revenue. I would have thought they should have worked out these nitty gritty stuff when the club was closed for months.
Oh, interesting stuff! Apparently, a guy tried to jump over this high glass just to cut the queue and enter the club. And, there was a fight between this guy and management. I think he was frustrated with the long wait. The police escorted him away.
That being said, I was pretty glad we didn't give up and persisted! The music was awesome! I loved the sound system. The dj spinning was excellent. I loved his music. When I first saw him, I thought he was Malaysian which got me pretty excited. I walked up to him and asked him where he is from. He said he was mixed Spanish and Filipino. Oo, mixed blood, nice! We chatted for quite a bit. At one point, he passed me the microphone. I daren't say anything into the mic. God knows, the crowd might have magically disappeared after that. He also djs at a club near my place on Saturday nights. I might head there more often now.
These are a couple of my observations tonight:
Straight girls like to make out. Either 1) they might be bisexual (if that's the case, it's okay. Their choice. I don't judge) or 2) because there are guys watching them make out and they like that idea. The kissing sessions are always accompanied by a photography session. Following which, the photos will probably be displayed on Facebook.
Girls can get terribly clumsy when influenced by alcohol. This girl with high heels stepped on my toes. Omg, I was in pain was such a long time.
You are able to make friends in a long queue. I think I made about 6 new friends in the queue.
I've encountered more sweaty girls tonight than guys.
A good sound system makes such a HUGE difference.
Goodnight world, so tired. It's 3 am.
They had only three people handling the payments. Seriously, so inefficient! I saw many people leave the queue to head to other clubs. What a lost of revenue. I would have thought they should have worked out these nitty gritty stuff when the club was closed for months.
Oh, interesting stuff! Apparently, a guy tried to jump over this high glass just to cut the queue and enter the club. And, there was a fight between this guy and management. I think he was frustrated with the long wait. The police escorted him away.
That being said, I was pretty glad we didn't give up and persisted! The music was awesome! I loved the sound system. The dj spinning was excellent. I loved his music. When I first saw him, I thought he was Malaysian which got me pretty excited. I walked up to him and asked him where he is from. He said he was mixed Spanish and Filipino. Oo, mixed blood, nice! We chatted for quite a bit. At one point, he passed me the microphone. I daren't say anything into the mic. God knows, the crowd might have magically disappeared after that. He also djs at a club near my place on Saturday nights. I might head there more often now.
These are a couple of my observations tonight:
Straight girls like to make out. Either 1) they might be bisexual (if that's the case, it's okay. Their choice. I don't judge) or 2) because there are guys watching them make out and they like that idea. The kissing sessions are always accompanied by a photography session. Following which, the photos will probably be displayed on Facebook.
Girls can get terribly clumsy when influenced by alcohol. This girl with high heels stepped on my toes. Omg, I was in pain was such a long time.
You are able to make friends in a long queue. I think I made about 6 new friends in the queue.
I've encountered more sweaty girls tonight than guys.
A good sound system makes such a HUGE difference.
Goodnight world, so tired. It's 3 am.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Amelia, 2001 French film
Couldn't really sleep again last night. Sigh. Ended up watching Amelia, the French film. Its pretty good. Very arthouse. I think I need it watch it again to fully appreciate the film.
I loved the cinematography. I don't quite know the technical terms for the style. But throughout the entire movie, I kept thinking that many of the scenes would provide beautiful lomography still shots.
I was slightly disturbed by the movie. I can't quite put a finger to why I felt this way. I ended up having absurd abstract dreams about the movie. My dream was like an arthouse film of the arthouse film. So queer. I think it's because I can't quite figure out the one underlying running theme in the film - the one that makes you go, ah, that's why this film was made.
In a nutshell, the movie was about a young girl, Amelia, who spends most of her life camouflaged in the background. She had an emotionally detached dad and a pretty eccentric mother who died because someone landed on her in the process of committing suicide. Two deaths in one day. She spends most of her life basically watching life goes by. She is pretty much an observer who prefers indulging in the simple stuff in life. To cut the story short, one day, she finds this tin box filled with a boy's childhood items. She then made it her mission to return this tin box to him. She thought to herself, if she gets a positive reaction upon handing the tin box to the man, she will make it her mission in life to continue doing good for others. A little like Mother Teressa, I suppose. So, she goes on trying to add a little happiness to everybody's lives. Soon, she meets this queer boy who likes collecting discarded photographs of strangers from passport photo booths. And she falls in love with him. Perhaps because in a way, he was like her, different and detached from the rest of the world. It took her a long time to overcome her shyness and reveal her love for him, but she finally does and they get together.
It's a little hard to relate to Amelia because she's pretty much 'larger than life'. It's an arthouse film after all. But, you cant help but like her innocence and purity.
In short, it's a good film. Go watch it if you haven't.
I loved the cinematography. I don't quite know the technical terms for the style. But throughout the entire movie, I kept thinking that many of the scenes would provide beautiful lomography still shots.
I was slightly disturbed by the movie. I can't quite put a finger to why I felt this way. I ended up having absurd abstract dreams about the movie. My dream was like an arthouse film of the arthouse film. So queer. I think it's because I can't quite figure out the one underlying running theme in the film - the one that makes you go, ah, that's why this film was made.
In a nutshell, the movie was about a young girl, Amelia, who spends most of her life camouflaged in the background. She had an emotionally detached dad and a pretty eccentric mother who died because someone landed on her in the process of committing suicide. Two deaths in one day. She spends most of her life basically watching life goes by. She is pretty much an observer who prefers indulging in the simple stuff in life. To cut the story short, one day, she finds this tin box filled with a boy's childhood items. She then made it her mission to return this tin box to him. She thought to herself, if she gets a positive reaction upon handing the tin box to the man, she will make it her mission in life to continue doing good for others. A little like Mother Teressa, I suppose. So, she goes on trying to add a little happiness to everybody's lives. Soon, she meets this queer boy who likes collecting discarded photographs of strangers from passport photo booths. And she falls in love with him. Perhaps because in a way, he was like her, different and detached from the rest of the world. It took her a long time to overcome her shyness and reveal her love for him, but she finally does and they get together.
It's a little hard to relate to Amelia because she's pretty much 'larger than life'. It's an arthouse film after all. But, you cant help but like her innocence and purity.
In short, it's a good film. Go watch it if you haven't.
Update on learning Chinese
I've been learning Chinese for over seven weeks now. I'm happy to say that I've improved heaps since I've first started. More than anything, the weekly classes serve as a motivational tool and guilt-tripping tool - "CRAP, I'M SO FAR BEHIND!" I'm not as discipline as I should be when it comes to practicing Chinese. The thing about languages is that you need to be very consistent with practicing the language. I have a couple of friends that I try to speak Chinese to. I speak to them on one condition - that they will attempt to the best of their abilities, to not laugh at my horrendous Chinese.
Aside from that, I've been trying to write weekly letters in Chinese to WC. The content of the letters are usually something simple - such as, "How are you? Today I played tennis..." But, I'm getting there! My last letter was two pages long. That's a real achievement for me. Of course, I couldnt do it without the help of the dictionary.
In addition, I've been trying to write Chinese e-mails. I wrote a couple of e-mails to Ann. haha. The Mac comes with an inbuilt chinese dictionary. Another reason to buy a Mac!
Any volunteer recipients for my Chinese letters/emails? I'll allow you to laugh at my Chinese in secret.
Aside from that, I've been trying to write weekly letters in Chinese to WC. The content of the letters are usually something simple - such as, "How are you? Today I played tennis..." But, I'm getting there! My last letter was two pages long. That's a real achievement for me. Of course, I couldnt do it without the help of the dictionary.
In addition, I've been trying to write Chinese e-mails. I wrote a couple of e-mails to Ann. haha. The Mac comes with an inbuilt chinese dictionary. Another reason to buy a Mac!
Any volunteer recipients for my Chinese letters/emails? I'll allow you to laugh at my Chinese in secret.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
My room
Below are pictures of my room as promised!
#1 I dismantled my study desk recently and kept it away. As a result, my room looks more spacious. How lovely. My brother walked in and he said, "Look at this space! I feel I can do anything in this space!" An extra space of 1.5 x 1.5 meters can add so much excitement in one's life.
The painting hanging on the right wall is the one I recently painted (see previous post)
#2 The place where I'm standing connects to the bathroom
#3 I like my duvet cover. I bought it on a trip to India. It's handmade using a very light, airy cotton. Perfect for summer. Except that its always freezing cold in Melbourne. The best about this duvet cover is the price. I love purchasing stuff from developing countries.
#4 I feel so proud of my ingenious brain for placing this study lamp on my bed headboard. It's perfect for night reading. The arm can extend out quite a fair bit. Before this brilliant idea strucked me, I was reading my novels in dim light (don't tell mom). And I wonder why my eyesight is deteriorating!
#5 The only soft toy I want in my room. Otherwise, it might unfortunately end up in the charity bin. It's from my brother for my about 7 years ago. A once asked me what's its name. I said, Geoffrey! He said, why Geoffrey. I replied, I don't know why but it looks like one. For a long time, I was quite mystified why I automatically associated it with such an old traditional English name. And suddenly, one day it clicked! Think Toys R US!
#6 Here are my other soft toys that I do not really want. Its taking up unnecessary space. The smaller photo frame was given by R. In it are pictures of my high school prom night! Seemed like donkey years ago. I remember all the girls looking so pretty and dolled up. The guys on the other hand, looked nervous trying to make sure they did the right stuff, like pulling out chairs for their dates, trying not to step on the girls feet as they dance. haha, tough stuff.
#7 A picture of C and I. I love the photo frame.
#8 A wooden pig and a wooden horse. There's a story behind this. One day, T was visiting Melbourne. I was working on a painting while he was watching. To keep him entertained, I placed a sketchbook in front of him and asked him to doodle. After 10 minutes of working furiously on some drawing, he asked me to guess the animal he drew. Very confidently, I said, "PIG!" He furrowed his eyebrows for a few seconds before he said, "No its not! It's a horse! Can't you see the difference?" The next day, he bought these two wooden toys for me from the art gallery he visited. You know, just so I could tell both the animals apart.
#9 I love train station clocks. Firstly, I'm able to tell the time first in the morning in my half-blind state (literally). Secondly, I think it just adds character to a room. It will be even more perfect if its in a study room (if I had one).
#10 My tall boy. I love photo frames with black and white photos in them.
#11 My many perfumes. Two are given by brother. One by my mum. And the rest by people not related to me - they better not be or you know, it will be incestuous. Looks like I don't need to buy anymore perfumes for the next few years!
#12 I call this - spaceship speakers. It looks like a spaceship, no? J gave this to me. I love it. The tip changes colour according to the music you are playing.
#13 See now its green! I love the lamp behind the spaceship. It's a little Japanese lamp given to me as a present by A.
#14 I hate the sight of wires crawling all over the floor. It's so disconcerting. So, I've decided to dump the entire multi plug outlet into my last drawer. Just shut the drawer and problem solved! On the same note, I've sneakily used a bed valance to hide my printer and my other multi plug outlet under my bed. Its so convenient that way. Everytime I need to print something, I just take the wire from under my bed, plug it into my laptop and start printing.
#15 Many helicopters were circling the city today. I wonder why. Is it to do with the earthquake that shook Melbourne today? What's happening to Australia? Two earthquakes in two weeks. Boo! First the bushfires and now this!
Okay, that's all. Documenting this was fun. I might be living in a new place in a couple of years/months time or I might decide to go berserk and redesign my entire room. You never know! Sometimes, it seems like my goal in life is to watch my parents recoil in horror as I mention heart-attack worthy ideas - like painting my bed white, the desk to some other shade of brown, painting a feature wall of some weird colour and I once thought that it was good idea to paint pictures on the wall - like it was some huge piece of canvas.
#1 I dismantled my study desk recently and kept it away. As a result, my room looks more spacious. How lovely. My brother walked in and he said, "Look at this space! I feel I can do anything in this space!" An extra space of 1.5 x 1.5 meters can add so much excitement in one's life.
The painting hanging on the right wall is the one I recently painted (see previous post)
#2 The place where I'm standing connects to the bathroom
#3 I like my duvet cover. I bought it on a trip to India. It's handmade using a very light, airy cotton. Perfect for summer. Except that its always freezing cold in Melbourne. The best about this duvet cover is the price. I love purchasing stuff from developing countries.
#4 I feel so proud of my ingenious brain for placing this study lamp on my bed headboard. It's perfect for night reading. The arm can extend out quite a fair bit. Before this brilliant idea strucked me, I was reading my novels in dim light (don't tell mom). And I wonder why my eyesight is deteriorating!
#5 The only soft toy I want in my room. Otherwise, it might unfortunately end up in the charity bin. It's from my brother for my about 7 years ago. A once asked me what's its name. I said, Geoffrey! He said, why Geoffrey. I replied, I don't know why but it looks like one. For a long time, I was quite mystified why I automatically associated it with such an old traditional English name. And suddenly, one day it clicked! Think Toys R US!
#6 Here are my other soft toys that I do not really want. Its taking up unnecessary space. The smaller photo frame was given by R. In it are pictures of my high school prom night! Seemed like donkey years ago. I remember all the girls looking so pretty and dolled up. The guys on the other hand, looked nervous trying to make sure they did the right stuff, like pulling out chairs for their dates, trying not to step on the girls feet as they dance. haha, tough stuff.
#7 A picture of C and I. I love the photo frame.
#8 A wooden pig and a wooden horse. There's a story behind this. One day, T was visiting Melbourne. I was working on a painting while he was watching. To keep him entertained, I placed a sketchbook in front of him and asked him to doodle. After 10 minutes of working furiously on some drawing, he asked me to guess the animal he drew. Very confidently, I said, "PIG!" He furrowed his eyebrows for a few seconds before he said, "No its not! It's a horse! Can't you see the difference?" The next day, he bought these two wooden toys for me from the art gallery he visited. You know, just so I could tell both the animals apart.
#9 I love train station clocks. Firstly, I'm able to tell the time first in the morning in my half-blind state (literally). Secondly, I think it just adds character to a room. It will be even more perfect if its in a study room (if I had one).
#10 My tall boy. I love photo frames with black and white photos in them.
#11 My many perfumes. Two are given by brother. One by my mum. And the rest by people not related to me - they better not be or you know, it will be incestuous. Looks like I don't need to buy anymore perfumes for the next few years!
#12 I call this - spaceship speakers. It looks like a spaceship, no? J gave this to me. I love it. The tip changes colour according to the music you are playing.
#13 See now its green! I love the lamp behind the spaceship. It's a little Japanese lamp given to me as a present by A.
#14 I hate the sight of wires crawling all over the floor. It's so disconcerting. So, I've decided to dump the entire multi plug outlet into my last drawer. Just shut the drawer and problem solved! On the same note, I've sneakily used a bed valance to hide my printer and my other multi plug outlet under my bed. Its so convenient that way. Everytime I need to print something, I just take the wire from under my bed, plug it into my laptop and start printing.
#15 Many helicopters were circling the city today. I wonder why. Is it to do with the earthquake that shook Melbourne today? What's happening to Australia? Two earthquakes in two weeks. Boo! First the bushfires and now this!
Okay, that's all. Documenting this was fun. I might be living in a new place in a couple of years/months time or I might decide to go berserk and redesign my entire room. You never know! Sometimes, it seems like my goal in life is to watch my parents recoil in horror as I mention heart-attack worthy ideas - like painting my bed white, the desk to some other shade of brown, painting a feature wall of some weird colour and I once thought that it was good idea to paint pictures on the wall - like it was some huge piece of canvas.
Painting in bedroom
I painted this today to hang in my bedroom. I will take a picture of my room soon to show you all how it fits with the rest of the deco.
My mum and brother were out tonight. My dad and I were the only ones at home, left alone to our own devices. I was engrossed with my painting and my dad was sitting across the table reading the news. Once in a while, I would ask him for his opinion on my progress. Dad is a funny one. After an intent study of my painting, like one would observe a painting at the Louvre, he said, "Hm...it looks very nice but I don't quite understand. What's the meaning behind your painting?"
"Em...there's no meaning. It just looks pretty."
"I also don't understand why do you leave a white patch on one side. Why can't you paint the entire thing brown?"
"But that's how the painting is suppose to be!"
"Oh I see. The brown line is not very straight. What's all these jagged things?"
"That's the design!!!"
"Oh..."
I was trying very hard to ignore his last comment but against my own will, I took it in! I've decided that the brown line wasn't very straight. And so, I kept working on it. But it kept getting worse and worse. And I can't paint when I'm frustrated. But I couldn't stop painting as well because I couldn't stand the sight of the ugliness. So for the next half hour, I was trying to paint a straight brown line in between blaming myself for my lack of skills and poor dad, for throwing in his two cents worth.
Finally, I told myself to just stop! I reckon the hardest part is stopping because you'll always think that the painting can be further improved.
So there you go, that's the story of the painting with the not-so-straight brown line.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Canon G10
I've just purchased a Canon G10. It will be excellent for travelling. It's not too heavy yet it takes pretty decent shots. I'm ecstatic right now!
Here's a picture of Melbourne's breathtaking view from my apartment.
No editing has been done to it. I rested it on the balcony railing.
Here's a picture of Melbourne's breathtaking view from my apartment.
No editing has been done to it. I rested it on the balcony railing.
World Bank says collapse has arrived
Peter Martin
March 10, 2009
THE World Bank has broken a taboo, becoming the first official organisation to predict the global economy will shrink during 2009, to collapse for the first time in more than 60 years.
A previous forecast from the International Monetary Fund predicted global growth of just 0.5 per cent this year, something it described as a recession but "still positive".
The new World Bank assessment, prepared for next week's meeting of finance ministers and treasurers from the world's 20 largest economies, was not specific about the extent of the collapse other than to say that global economic activity would shrink "for the first time since World War II, with growth at least 5 percentage points below potential".
Global industrial production would be down 15 per cent by the middle of this year, with world trade on track to record its largest decline in 80 years.
Of special significance to Australia, the bank said the sharpest falls in trade would occur in East Asia, including Japan and Korea, which between them buy a third of Australia's exports.
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard described the findings as "very disturbing" but refused to be drawn on whether the Government would need to update its forecast that Australia's unemployment rate would peak at 7 per cent.
Official figures to be released on Thursday are likely to show Australia's unemployment rate hitting 5 per cent for the first time since 2006.
An extra 650,000 jobs were lost in the US in February, taking the US unemployment rate past 8 per cent for the first time in 25 years.
This morning's Dun & Bradstreet business expectations survey will indicate that 1 in 4 Australian businesses plans to cut staff, with employment expectations the worst in the survey's history.
Treasurer Wayne Swan, who will attend the London G20 meeting, said the World Bank report underscored the need for a strong economic stimulus program.
An IMF report released on the weekend pressed nations such as Australia to implement additional stimulus measures, saying "given the anticipated weakness in the global economy over the next two years, consideration should be given to providing fiscal stimulus that goes beyond the measures already announced."
"Given the likelihood that the economic weakness will continue into 2010, there should be less concern that the expenditures will only be put into place once the economy has begun to recover," the report said.
IMF staff found the most effective stimulus programs were those involving government investment, while the least effective involved income tax cuts.
Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull continued to propose tax cuts on Monday, saying that bringing forward the tax cuts already legislated for July this year and July next would be "like a rising tide, lifting all boats". He also proposed rebating a portion of the superannuation guarantee contribution to small businesses.
The World Bank report warns disruptions caused by the economic crisis are all but certain to overwhelm the ability of institutions like it and the IMF to protect the economies most at risk.
Bank president Robert Zoellick pleaded for wealthy governments to create a "vulnerability fund" and to set aside a fraction of what they spend on stimulating their own economies to help others.
"This global crisis needs a global solution and preventing an economic catastrophe in developing countries is important for global efforts to overcome this crisis," he said.
"We need investments in safety nets, infrastructure, and small and medium-size companies to create jobs and to avoid social and political unrest."
Different day, same news. But worse. Sometimes, I just want to skip through all the bad reports in the papers but I would have reached the end by then. I don't like reading the sports section.
March 10, 2009
THE World Bank has broken a taboo, becoming the first official organisation to predict the global economy will shrink during 2009, to collapse for the first time in more than 60 years.
A previous forecast from the International Monetary Fund predicted global growth of just 0.5 per cent this year, something it described as a recession but "still positive".
The new World Bank assessment, prepared for next week's meeting of finance ministers and treasurers from the world's 20 largest economies, was not specific about the extent of the collapse other than to say that global economic activity would shrink "for the first time since World War II, with growth at least 5 percentage points below potential".
Global industrial production would be down 15 per cent by the middle of this year, with world trade on track to record its largest decline in 80 years.
Of special significance to Australia, the bank said the sharpest falls in trade would occur in East Asia, including Japan and Korea, which between them buy a third of Australia's exports.
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard described the findings as "very disturbing" but refused to be drawn on whether the Government would need to update its forecast that Australia's unemployment rate would peak at 7 per cent.
Official figures to be released on Thursday are likely to show Australia's unemployment rate hitting 5 per cent for the first time since 2006.
An extra 650,000 jobs were lost in the US in February, taking the US unemployment rate past 8 per cent for the first time in 25 years.
This morning's Dun & Bradstreet business expectations survey will indicate that 1 in 4 Australian businesses plans to cut staff, with employment expectations the worst in the survey's history.
Treasurer Wayne Swan, who will attend the London G20 meeting, said the World Bank report underscored the need for a strong economic stimulus program.
An IMF report released on the weekend pressed nations such as Australia to implement additional stimulus measures, saying "given the anticipated weakness in the global economy over the next two years, consideration should be given to providing fiscal stimulus that goes beyond the measures already announced."
"Given the likelihood that the economic weakness will continue into 2010, there should be less concern that the expenditures will only be put into place once the economy has begun to recover," the report said.
IMF staff found the most effective stimulus programs were those involving government investment, while the least effective involved income tax cuts.
Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull continued to propose tax cuts on Monday, saying that bringing forward the tax cuts already legislated for July this year and July next would be "like a rising tide, lifting all boats". He also proposed rebating a portion of the superannuation guarantee contribution to small businesses.
The World Bank report warns disruptions caused by the economic crisis are all but certain to overwhelm the ability of institutions like it and the IMF to protect the economies most at risk.
Bank president Robert Zoellick pleaded for wealthy governments to create a "vulnerability fund" and to set aside a fraction of what they spend on stimulating their own economies to help others.
"This global crisis needs a global solution and preventing an economic catastrophe in developing countries is important for global efforts to overcome this crisis," he said.
"We need investments in safety nets, infrastructure, and small and medium-size companies to create jobs and to avoid social and political unrest."
Different day, same news. But worse. Sometimes, I just want to skip through all the bad reports in the papers but I would have reached the end by then. I don't like reading the sports section.
Monday, March 09, 2009
The little girl who silenced the world for 6 minutes
FULL TRANSCRIPT:
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1992)
Voluntary address to the United Nations by Ms Severn Suzuki, a 13-year old child from Canada
Hello, I'm Severn Suzuki and I'm speaking ECO, the Environmental Children's Organisation. We're a group of 12 and 13 year olds trying to make a difference – Vanessa Suttie, Morgan Geisler, Michelle Quigg and me. We raised all the money to come here ourselves, to come five thousand miles to tell you adults you must change your ways.
Coming up here today I have no hidden agenda. I am fighting for my future. Losing my future is not like losing an election, or a few points on the stock market. I am here to speak for all generations to come. I am here to speak on behalf of the starving children around the world whose cries go unheard. I'm here to speak for the countless animals dying across this planet because they have nowhere left to go.
I am afraid to go out in the sun now because of the holes in our ozone. I am afraid to breathe the air because I don't know what chemicals are in it. I used to go fishing in Vancouver, my home, with my dad until just a few years ago we found a fish full of cancers. And now we hear of animals and plants going extinct every day, vanishing forever.
In my life, I have dreamt of seeing great herds of wild animals, jungles and rainforests full of birds and butterflies but now I wonder if they will even exist for my children to see. Did you have to worry of these things when you were my age? All these are happening before our eyes and yet we act as if we have all the time we want and all the solutions.
I'm only a child and I don't have all the solutions but I want you to realise – neither do you. You don't know how to fix the holes in our ozone layer. You don't know how to bring the salmon back up a dead stream. You don't know how to bring back an animal now extinct. And you can't bring back the forests that once grew where it's now a desert. If you don't know how to fix it, please stop breaking it.
Here you may be delegates of your governments, businesspeople, organisers, reporters or politicians but really, you're mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, and all of you are someone's child. I'm only a child yet I know we are all part of a family five billion strong. In fact 30 million species strong and borders and governments will never change that.
I'm only a child and yet I know we're all in this together and should act as one single world towards one single goal. In my anger, I am not mine and in my fear, I am not afraid of telling the world how I feel. In my country, we make so much waste. We buy and throw away, buy and throw away, buy and throw away and yet northern countries will not share with the needy even when we have more than enough. We're afraid to share. We're afraid to let go some of our wealth.
In Canada, we live the privileged life with plenty of food, water and shelter. We have watches, bicycles, computers and television sets. The list could go on for two days. Two days ago here in Brazil, we were shocked when we spent time with some children living on the streets.
This is what one child told us:
"I wish I was rich. And if I were, I would give all the street children food, clothes, medicines, shelter and love and affection."
If a child on the street who has nothing is willing to share, why are we who have everything still so greedy? I can't stop thinking that these are children my own age that it makes a tremendous difference where you are born, that I could be one of those children living in the 'favelas' of Rio. I could be a child starving in Somalia. Or a victim of war in the Middle East. Or a beggar in India.
I'm only a child yet I know if all the money spent on war was spent on finding environmental answers and in poverty and finding treaties, what a wonderful place this earth would be. At school, even in kindergarten, you teach us how to behave in the world. You teach us to not fight with others, to work things out, to respect others, to clean up our mess, not to hurt other creatures, to share, not be greedy. Then why do you go out and do the things you tell us not to do?
Do not forget why you are attending these conferences, who you are doing this for. We are your own children. You are deciding what kind of a world we're growing up in. Parents should be able to comfort their children by saying, "Everything's going to be alright. It's not the end of the world" and "we're doing the best we can" but I don't think you can say that to us anymore.
Are we even on your list of priorities? My dad always says, "You are what you do not what you say." Well, what you do makes me cry at night. You grown-ups say you love us but I challenge you, make your actions reflect your words.
Thank you.
Sometimes we need to view the world from the eyes of a child
And from the eyes of Forrest Gump:
So, I never went back to work for Lieutenant Dan. Though he did take care of my Bubba-Gump money. He got me invested in some kind of fruit company. And so then I got a call from him saying we don't have to worry about money no more and I said, "That's good. One less thing". Now, Momma said there's only so much fortune a man really needs and the rest is just for showing off. So, I gave a whole bunch of it to the Four Square Gospel Church and I gave a whole bunch to the Bayou La Batre Fishing Hospital. And even though Bubba was dead, and Lieutenant Dan said I was nuts, I gave Bubba's momma Bubba's share. And you know what? She didn't have to work in nobody's kitchen no more.
Twitter for beginners
I finally jumped on the bandwagon and decided to sign up for twitter. I've been hearing over and over again that twitter is extremely useful, is the next big thing and it feeds almost live news. But where do I begin? How do I even find interesting people to follow or even people for that matter? Is it like facebook? Do we type in email addresses or names? So many questions and no answers, till I found this!
From twitip.com by Darren Rowse
1. Set up your profile
The first thing you need to do is to set up that profile. See that bar on top of your twitter page? Click Settings and start filling up your profile. The notable areas in here are URL, bio, picture and design. Put up a link to your site or blog in here along with a brief description. Upload a picture to differentiate yourself from the others and then tweak your Twitter design. Like any other social networking site, it is important to completely express what you are or what you stand for in your profile.
2. Follow people with similar interests
Now that you have a profile, start following people. You can find these people in Twitter directories. I use Twellow and JustTweetIt. These sites can introduce you to Twitter users that have the same interest as yours. Follow these people and observe their tweets. You may also try following who these people follow but read up their descriptions and visit their blogs to make sure you’re still on the right niche. Being on the right niche will make it easy for you to build a community with a similar interest.
3. Get into the conversation
So now that you are following people, you will now see some tweets on your board. Read up on what the people your following are up to and reply if it interests you. For example, a person narrates how he is going to conduct a meeting. You may then reply with ideas. When someone asks a question, don’t hesitate to answer if you know it. Don’t be afraid to interact.
4. Don’t spam
Spam is the cause of many unfollows on Twitter. There is a character limit for a reason. Do not send repeated messages to people. Do not constantly direct message (DM) them with links.
5. Update daily
Alright so you’re blending in the community. Now update daily if possible. I know some Twitter users who unfollow because of inactivity. Reply to people and update people with what’s going on with your life. Soon you’ll be recognized and you’ll get some follows.
6. Find the latest buzz and contribute
Now it’s your time to contribute. Find a topic that will interest your niche and tweet it. Since you have established relationships with your followers (through replies), you will get more attention. It’s a nice strategy to always append “please retweet” at the end of your tweet. There will be some people who will be so interested that they will retweet. There are others who will reply to you about the link you tweeted. But you are not a “nobody” anymore. You are not just talking to yourself. People are now responding to your tweets.
7. Help other people out
The famous saying “Do unto others what you want others to do unto you” holds here. Before you can receive retweets, you must help others first by retweeting their messages. Help the people in your niche. One day you’ll be surprised on how eager they are to help you back.
8. Create relationships
Now it’s time to create constant connections. Soon you will find that some users are more active than others. You will get to talk with the same group of people at the same time every night. But don’t get bored. Interact with these people and create relationships. Ask how they are doing and try to touch on their interests.
9. Integrate Twitter with other social networks
Have a blog? Then post to Twitter when you have a post that will interest your niche. Have a Facebook profile? Then ask people to add you. Twitter is really a vital part of web 2.0. It can serve as the core. It can let you build relationships that can branch out to other social networks.
10. Establish relationships even outside Twitter
Have a lot of friends on Twitter? Then take it to another level. Ask for their messenger and talk to these people on a more intimate level. Call them through Skype or even arrange a meet-up. Twitter can create real relationships.
Congratulations! You are now an official member of the Twitter community. You talk, act, think and breathe like us. Perhaps you find yourself spending every five minutes updating Twitter on what you are doing. But I guess I’ll save Twitter addiction for next time.
From twitip.com by Darren Rowse
1. Set up your profile
The first thing you need to do is to set up that profile. See that bar on top of your twitter page? Click Settings and start filling up your profile. The notable areas in here are URL, bio, picture and design. Put up a link to your site or blog in here along with a brief description. Upload a picture to differentiate yourself from the others and then tweak your Twitter design. Like any other social networking site, it is important to completely express what you are or what you stand for in your profile.
2. Follow people with similar interests
Now that you have a profile, start following people. You can find these people in Twitter directories. I use Twellow and JustTweetIt. These sites can introduce you to Twitter users that have the same interest as yours. Follow these people and observe their tweets. You may also try following who these people follow but read up their descriptions and visit their blogs to make sure you’re still on the right niche. Being on the right niche will make it easy for you to build a community with a similar interest.
3. Get into the conversation
So now that you are following people, you will now see some tweets on your board. Read up on what the people your following are up to and reply if it interests you. For example, a person narrates how he is going to conduct a meeting. You may then reply with ideas. When someone asks a question, don’t hesitate to answer if you know it. Don’t be afraid to interact.
4. Don’t spam
Spam is the cause of many unfollows on Twitter. There is a character limit for a reason. Do not send repeated messages to people. Do not constantly direct message (DM) them with links.
5. Update daily
Alright so you’re blending in the community. Now update daily if possible. I know some Twitter users who unfollow because of inactivity. Reply to people and update people with what’s going on with your life. Soon you’ll be recognized and you’ll get some follows.
6. Find the latest buzz and contribute
Now it’s your time to contribute. Find a topic that will interest your niche and tweet it. Since you have established relationships with your followers (through replies), you will get more attention. It’s a nice strategy to always append “please retweet” at the end of your tweet. There will be some people who will be so interested that they will retweet. There are others who will reply to you about the link you tweeted. But you are not a “nobody” anymore. You are not just talking to yourself. People are now responding to your tweets.
7. Help other people out
The famous saying “Do unto others what you want others to do unto you” holds here. Before you can receive retweets, you must help others first by retweeting their messages. Help the people in your niche. One day you’ll be surprised on how eager they are to help you back.
8. Create relationships
Now it’s time to create constant connections. Soon you will find that some users are more active than others. You will get to talk with the same group of people at the same time every night. But don’t get bored. Interact with these people and create relationships. Ask how they are doing and try to touch on their interests.
9. Integrate Twitter with other social networks
Have a blog? Then post to Twitter when you have a post that will interest your niche. Have a Facebook profile? Then ask people to add you. Twitter is really a vital part of web 2.0. It can serve as the core. It can let you build relationships that can branch out to other social networks.
10. Establish relationships even outside Twitter
Have a lot of friends on Twitter? Then take it to another level. Ask for their messenger and talk to these people on a more intimate level. Call them through Skype or even arrange a meet-up. Twitter can create real relationships.
Congratulations! You are now an official member of the Twitter community. You talk, act, think and breathe like us. Perhaps you find yourself spending every five minutes updating Twitter on what you are doing. But I guess I’ll save Twitter addiction for next time.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Moomba Waterfest
The annual Melbourne Moomba festival was on this weekend. It runs for four days consecutively – Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday (labour day). It just ended with a bang (literally). I stood with my face pressed against my window watching the fireworks shoot into the sky. I let out a smile of reminiscence and even grinned to myself. I always loved the Moomba festival. I’ve been for every single one the past seven years, save the last two years.
I can’t quite put a finger to it. There’s something about the Moomba festival that always keep me excited. It certainly isn’t the greasy, overpriced hotdogs, the games that make me want to throw up or the ugly prizes (example, pirated oversized Tom the cat in the wrong shade of colour) that I want to throw away before I arrive home.
Yet every year, I buy the greasy food, sit on a ride that I swear I’ll never go on again and play some overpriced game (while secretly hoping deep down inside I do not win a huge ass toy).
Maybe it’s the time of the year – it’s the first quarter of the year when the year is still filled with renewed hope. Maybe it’s the crowd. Secretly, I love crowds. Not too big but just a nice, sweet, cozy crowd. Preferably, with kids and balloons. Also, it’s the fact that it’s next to the river. Anything with water is always calming and makes people happy. Or maybe, its just the cheesy funfair. Maybe, deep down inside, I like going on crappy funfair rides, eating greasy overpriced food and then complaining about all of it after with an alternate frown and grin to boot.
In summary, I love the Moomba festival. Actually, I just like funfairs. The last one I been to was three months ago in Malaysia. Again, against my better judgment, we sat on a ride that spun round and round, and it just wouldn't stop! After what seemed like forever, I got down and said, "I think I'm going to puke." I puked, not once but three times.
Again, in summary, I still love funfairs.
I can’t quite put a finger to it. There’s something about the Moomba festival that always keep me excited. It certainly isn’t the greasy, overpriced hotdogs, the games that make me want to throw up or the ugly prizes (example, pirated oversized Tom the cat in the wrong shade of colour) that I want to throw away before I arrive home.
Yet every year, I buy the greasy food, sit on a ride that I swear I’ll never go on again and play some overpriced game (while secretly hoping deep down inside I do not win a huge ass toy).
Maybe it’s the time of the year – it’s the first quarter of the year when the year is still filled with renewed hope. Maybe it’s the crowd. Secretly, I love crowds. Not too big but just a nice, sweet, cozy crowd. Preferably, with kids and balloons. Also, it’s the fact that it’s next to the river. Anything with water is always calming and makes people happy. Or maybe, its just the cheesy funfair. Maybe, deep down inside, I like going on crappy funfair rides, eating greasy overpriced food and then complaining about all of it after with an alternate frown and grin to boot.
In summary, I love the Moomba festival. Actually, I just like funfairs. The last one I been to was three months ago in Malaysia. Again, against my better judgment, we sat on a ride that spun round and round, and it just wouldn't stop! After what seemed like forever, I got down and said, "I think I'm going to puke." I puked, not once but three times.
Again, in summary, I still love funfairs.
Becareful of what you say and don't say on the Internet
By Seth Godin
Personal branding in the age of Google
A friend advertised on Craigslist for a housekeeper.
Three interesting resumes came to the top. She googled each person's name.
The first search turned up a MySpace page. There was a picture of the applicant, drinking beer from a funnel. Under hobbies, the first entry was, "binge drinking."
The second search turned up a personal blog (a good one, actually). The most recent entry said something like, "I am applying for some menial jobs that are below me, and I'm annoyed by it. I'll certainly quit the minute I sell a few paintings."
And the third? There were only six matches, and the sixth was from the local police department, indicating that the applicant had been arrested for shoplifting two years earlier.
Three for three.
Google never forgets.
Of course, you don't have to be a drunk, a thief or a bitter failure for this to backfire. Everything you do now ends up in your permanent record. The best plan is to overload Google with a long tail of good stuff and to always act as if you're on Candid Camera, because you are.
Personal branding in the age of Google
A friend advertised on Craigslist for a housekeeper.
Three interesting resumes came to the top. She googled each person's name.
The first search turned up a MySpace page. There was a picture of the applicant, drinking beer from a funnel. Under hobbies, the first entry was, "binge drinking."
The second search turned up a personal blog (a good one, actually). The most recent entry said something like, "I am applying for some menial jobs that are below me, and I'm annoyed by it. I'll certainly quit the minute I sell a few paintings."
And the third? There were only six matches, and the sixth was from the local police department, indicating that the applicant had been arrested for shoplifting two years earlier.
Three for three.
Google never forgets.
Of course, you don't have to be a drunk, a thief or a bitter failure for this to backfire. Everything you do now ends up in your permanent record. The best plan is to overload Google with a long tail of good stuff and to always act as if you're on Candid Camera, because you are.
Friday, March 06, 2009
Reminiscence
I was scrolling through my facebook pictures and I found this picture that was taken approximately two years ago. I remembered the exact day this was taken because once again I was dateless on Valentine's day! Cheryl and I decided to "date" each other and we headed to Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. We "bitched" about how Valentine's Day can be such a depressing day, especially seeing so many couples walking around the streets, holding each other's pinkies. But it turned out to be a pretty fun day in the end. We walked around the shopping centres aimlessly, took lots of pictures, laughed lots and ended up at Jalan Petaling gorging ourselves silly with good old Malaysian food.
Anyway, the point of this post is to rant and complain! This was taken at JW Marriott, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. This picture is just two years old but I look so much thinner and younger. Sigh, it's all downhill from here.
p/s: I'm also posting this picture because I do not have a camera now. I miss having pictures on my blog. The picture is a little grainy because I took it off facebook and also, this picture was taken in the dark.
Anyway, the point of this post is to rant and complain! This was taken at JW Marriott, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. This picture is just two years old but I look so much thinner and younger. Sigh, it's all downhill from here.
p/s: I'm also posting this picture because I do not have a camera now. I miss having pictures on my blog. The picture is a little grainy because I took it off facebook and also, this picture was taken in the dark.
Monday, March 02, 2009
I know you, but I don't know you
I was talking to my friend, J just now. Halfway through the conversation, he said, "Sometimes, I feel like I know you but I don't know you. With most people, I figure them out pretty quickly. It's like your mind is running around all the time. You're always thinking something but I can't figure it out."
I paused for a couple of seconds and then I replied, "Hm, yeah. I get that a lot. I'm not the most open person out there unless I know you pretty well."
This brought me back to the time I had a conversation with another friend a couple of years back. I think he felt a little frustrated because he said I'm not open to him and I placed an invisible barrier between us. I would tell him my dreams, goals, worries and fears but still, I didn't allow him into my world.
It usually takes me years for me to be really open up to another person but when I do, I'm extremely open and fiercely protective of my friendships. Sometimes, fortunately, it doesn't have to take that long. It may just take one meeting and I'll feel an instant connection. However, it's difficult for me to feel that way. So I sit here and wonder, why am I so reserved when I first meet a person? Or is that a good thing or a bad thing?
I paused for a couple of seconds and then I replied, "Hm, yeah. I get that a lot. I'm not the most open person out there unless I know you pretty well."
This brought me back to the time I had a conversation with another friend a couple of years back. I think he felt a little frustrated because he said I'm not open to him and I placed an invisible barrier between us. I would tell him my dreams, goals, worries and fears but still, I didn't allow him into my world.
It usually takes me years for me to be really open up to another person but when I do, I'm extremely open and fiercely protective of my friendships. Sometimes, fortunately, it doesn't have to take that long. It may just take one meeting and I'll feel an instant connection. However, it's difficult for me to feel that way. So I sit here and wonder, why am I so reserved when I first meet a person? Or is that a good thing or a bad thing?
On courtship
I opened my Facebook inbox this morning and I saw this:
Subject matter: An Honest Note =)
Between You and (name hidden)
I'm giving this a try. Maybe if u're ok with it you could reply else just say no?
Name’s (name hidden) and I live in Kuala Lumpur, city I’ve been living in since I was born (well except when I’m off travelling around the globe for business). I'm 26 this year, currently as technical manager for a MNC. Don't do much, mostly work, trying to find that someone special.
I may not be the one in anyone's life at the moment but I'm hoping to find one soon I guess. I may be young, but its better to try it now than never!
And yourself? P.S. You could reply with your IM so we could talk faster than replying this message one by one. Mine's (hidden) at hotmail. Hopefully it doesn't just end there. Doing this for the first time in facebook, well.. I hope to do this the first and last time with you :)
I'm not sure whether it comes with age, but people seem really forward these days. I've definitely not gotten used to it yet. Recently (past few years), I've gotten proposals such as, "let me just be honest with you. I'm not going to pretend that I just want to be friends..." What happened to the subtlety? I miss that. I prefer the whole, 'let's pretend we are friends for now even if we both know this might lead to something later.' It makes things a little less awkward don't you think? Or maybe it's just a waste of time on both our ends? I don't know.
In case, you're interested, this is what I replied:
I'm sorry. You seem nice but I'm not interested =)
Good luck on your quest in finding "the one".
Subject matter: An Honest Note =)
Between You and (name hidden)
I'm giving this a try. Maybe if u're ok with it you could reply else just say no?
Name’s (name hidden) and I live in Kuala Lumpur, city I’ve been living in since I was born (well except when I’m off travelling around the globe for business). I'm 26 this year, currently as technical manager for a MNC. Don't do much, mostly work, trying to find that someone special.
I may not be the one in anyone's life at the moment but I'm hoping to find one soon I guess. I may be young, but its better to try it now than never!
And yourself? P.S. You could reply with your IM so we could talk faster than replying this message one by one. Mine's (hidden) at hotmail. Hopefully it doesn't just end there. Doing this for the first time in facebook, well.. I hope to do this the first and last time with you :)
I'm not sure whether it comes with age, but people seem really forward these days. I've definitely not gotten used to it yet. Recently (past few years), I've gotten proposals such as, "let me just be honest with you. I'm not going to pretend that I just want to be friends..." What happened to the subtlety? I miss that. I prefer the whole, 'let's pretend we are friends for now even if we both know this might lead to something later.' It makes things a little less awkward don't you think? Or maybe it's just a waste of time on both our ends? I don't know.
In case, you're interested, this is what I replied:
I'm sorry. You seem nice but I'm not interested =)
Good luck on your quest in finding "the one".
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