I love pasta~!! Especially pasta marinara. I need to have a pasta fix at least once a week.






Today's pasta was just a-okay. But I had to substitute linguini with spaghetti. And the prawns was a little soggy.

Oil painting

I took this picture when i was almost done with the painting. I just added more clouds and refined some other details.

Snippets of my day

More graffiti - same location but different angles.



I love the little lanes in Melbourne



Best waffles - try the choc waffles. Yum yum =)



St Paul Cathedral - my first time inside. I know there are many of these sort of cathedrals in Europe but there are hardly around in Melbourne as Melbourne is a relatively new city and Australia started as a convict country. So this cathedral is real treasure.





Read the Economist online - Guess which country is the biggest couch potato. Hint: Think Simpsons.



Quotes of the day:

"My cat has retired", the Egyptian grandma said as we slowly savoured her homemade pastries.

Translation: "My cat has passed away"

........

"What sound does a lamb make?" I asked the 4 year old girl.

"Hm....lambs do not talk," she answered.

"What about dogs? Do they talk?" I said whilst holding back my laughter.

"Yes. But i dont have a dog at home. So, I don't know"

O SO CUTE~! I wanna squeeze her to bits~!

For the life she lived

Not remembered for her death but for the life she lived. That was how Prince William and Harry wanted their mum to be remembered.

Death. Still a taboo word in most societies. I dare not mention her name anymore. It was as if her existence was wiped out from our memories. I cant quite remember how she looked like. I was probably a little too young back then. But i clearly remember her presence. I still recall the moment she passed me that tiny gold bracelet. I thought it was the prettiest thing i ever seen in my life because it glimmered in the light and its refine details made it seemed fitting for an angel. And my last gift from her was a board game for Christmas. I was probably 6 years old back then. The day i received the gift was the last time i ever saw her. If i knew her candle would have stopped burning then, I would have savoured every moment spent with her. But i remember her not for her death but for her life. So i try to capture every fading memory I have of her and jot them down in words.

Yesterday in cell group, we had a session where we would write an obituary for ourselves. It was kinda freaky at first. Something our grandparents would disapprove. But, it really made us ponder on what we would want to be remembered for - a billionaire, the first person who stepped on Mars, a peacemaker, a person with integrity, a person who gave his 110%, a person who loved unconditionally, a person who walked the footsteps of Christ. I once read this in a book - "Imagine you were lying in a coffin and all your close friends and family were at your burial ceremony. What would they have said in their speeches? What would you have wanted them to say?"

Inner child

She wondered had she had the peter pan syndrome, would all the pain of breaking out of the nestled shell disappear? She reminisced jumping on fluffy beds, playing with barbies and swimming with mummy and daddy. She chuckled at memories of erred speeches drowned in laughter.

With the sun dancing behind the clouds, the inner child in us leaps out to play with glee.





Docklands, Melbourne



Cow up a tree (Thats the real name of the sculpture) Salad, I took this picture because it reminded me of the fun times we had at Ben & Jerry's @ Singapore =)




Okay, the real reason we were at Docklands was that Jon Ng, Jesse and I went for a jog there. We obviously didnt jog too hard as I was busy taking pictures =)

Jon Ng was the only pro runner out of the 3 of us

Brisbane

We had a fun and relaxin time exploring Brisbane City - We spent most of our time at Southbank. Brisbane Southbank is pretty different from the Melbourne one. Brisbane Southbank is much more green and very family-oriented.



The girls on the tree~!



All of us up on the tree


Try to spot Tim



Candid shot - i put this up cause i thought i look pretty cool here :P Adrian, Jus' cousin wasn't impressed with my over-confidence



Candid shot 2 - okay, not so cool here


Such a sweet couple =)

We actually came up to Brisbane for a wedding, not just a mere holiday. Congrats to Alvin and his beautiful wife, Sarah.

Jus with his mum and aunt

Jesse and I

Nicole and I - off to dinner



Together with the boys



With the beautiful girls



With Ann - whom I miss dearly. I told Jus and Jesse that I need new friends now that Ann is gone. Jesse told me to advertise on my blog.



Dinner venue



With bride and groom



WIth baby Solly and Mummy





Guess who caught the flowers? =)

Yarra Valley

Jus and I spent our Saturday at the Yarra Valley.

Below are pictures taken at Shantell, Yarra Valley. Two thumbs up for this restaurant/winery.

Shan, the winemaker of this winery was born in Malaysia~! He studied medicine at Monash, subsequently practiced as a general surgeon, and now runs a winery. He is now 60 years of age and still practicing medicine part-time~! Wow, all hats off to him =)

He runs this small but lovely vineyard with his wife, Turid from Norway. She studied physics at University of Melbourne and obtained her doctorate in 1971~!



Lovely scenery through a wine glass



Bon appetite - Our entree consisted of a variety of cheeses, crackers, smoked chicken, smoked salmon, mushrooms, beetroot puree, turkish bread, roast beef, salads. Nowadays, i usually try to steer away from smoked items because its too high in sodium. However, this entree dish was great~! Wasnt too salty at all.



My favourite - beetroot puree up close





My main meal - seafood dish consisted of prawns, salmon on lemon mash and squid. Ive never tasted squid so tender before. Yum =)I thought that it was interesting that the dish is served with a lime wedge. I usually have it with lemon instead.



If you are heading up to the Yarra Valley, I recommend that you stop by this winery for lunch. The restaurant is open from Thurs - Sun. For the kiasu Asians, discounts are available if you use the entertainment card =)

One of my favourite photos. Not because I look good in it (I know I don't) but because it seems to capture the essence of my spirit. I love the open sea. Jesse is getting better at taking photos isn't he?

Iron Chef Jesse

Whats a better way to start your week with good food (cooked by a chef~!) plus great company.

Jus and I bought various random food items from the supermarket for dinner tonight. The deal was that Jesse had to use every single item we bought plus any other ingredient/spice of his choice from the pantry.

So we bought :-

3 capsicums (red + green + yellow)
Onions
Garlic
Basa fillet fish
Barramundi fillet fish
Beef
Chilli
Pumpkin
Bak choy
Longans
Eggs
Mushrooms
Proschitto
Lime

Needless to say, he lived up to his reputation~!

So we had beef with capsicums + pumpkin + pine nuts + chilli..+ hm...etc etc (secret ingredients :P)

Barramundi (cooked chinese style with ginger, wine, soya sauce)

Prawns + eggs + other ingredients

Basa fillet fish + longans + lime + mushrooms + curry leaves + curry paste (ever tasted longans in curry? we have now~!)

Bak choy + Proscuitto

The meal was complimented by a beautiful shiraz provided by Kev plus a well-matched chardonay brought by Tim. We also had 2 bottles of sparkling grape juice~!

This was followed by a simple but delicious fruit punch of longans + grapes + ice + white wine.


Jesse at work. Look at how the prawns seem to be flying out of the wok. The art of a chef.





The company (minus Nicole, my brother and I)


Yum. Curry fish (with longans)

Very innovative. Never had bak choy with proscuitto before.

Philippians 2
He Took on the Status of a Slave

1-4If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand

God, teach me to be more like You.

Give me a teachable spirit.

Give me a humbling spirit.

For some reason or another (probably nearning the time of the month), I've been very irritated with my brother. Any remark that was even slightly displeasing to the ear made me really irritated.

So last night, while lying in bed:-

First 10 minutes: plotting spiteful revenge

Next 10 minutes: reversing plan. Not very Godly, i thought.

Last 10 minutes: channelling away thoughts: thought of sugar,spice and everything nice.

Fell asleep.

Today

Woke up: Ah, forgot about plan.

Irritated process repeat

Thought process repeat

Sigh, I can be so immature sometimes.

......

To love is to keep no record of wrong-doings. Thats a tough one. What if the person offends you again and again through his/her similar actions? Is it then possible to keep no record of wrong-doings? Familiar painful memories will be evoked? Thoughts anyone?

Happy Birthday Gorgeous Nina =)

A few days too late but here's a shout out to Nina. Happy 20th Birthday sweetie =)

Intelligent. Caring. Responsible. Giving. Loving. Emphatatic. Strong. Amazing. Beautiful.


Love ya =)

Me, myself and I

Home alone.

Suddenly the house feels unwelcomingly quiet. I usually like the quietness. Jus calls me a lone ranger. However, this quietness has been a sudden change from all the chatter with 4 ppl living in this tiny apartment. My brother is off to his gf's place. My parents are out for dinner with friends (I reckon my parents have more friends in melbourne than I do - no kidding)

I called Wei Chee last night. It is always good to be able to talk to an old friend who knows the old me and the current me. I think i have definitely changed quite a fair bit since I have left for Melbourne. Perhaps a little more opinionated. But hopefully, everything else is for the better =) I do realise that I like ranting off my problems to her when I am not really seeking for answers but more of reassurance that its okay to feel this way. Basically, to remove things off my chest. I kinda know what I'm suppose to do but I just want someone to listen. Thats the thing with girls isn't it. We are usually not seeking for solutions but for someone to just be there. I think that frustrates guys sometimes. Guys being solution-minded, would only speak about their problems when they are specifically searching for an answer. Last night, I was reading a book called "For Women Only" by Shaunti Feldhahn. Jus called it 'the bible for women living'. Ern said in response, 'Yeah, that's exactly what you want your wife to be isn't it'. That book is fantastic - really really practical. No fluff. Just the real deal. Its basically spills out 'what we need to know about the inner lives of men'. So if you wanna know:

Why are guys so stubborn @ does not want to ask for directions even though he knows he is lost

Why do guys seem so superficial

Why do guys react angrily but girls break down and cry

Why is his pride so important to him that we girls, for the life of us, cannot understand

Do read the book =)



Apropos to nothing, the Malaysian PM just got married today. After doing some brief research on the net about his newly wedded wife, let's just say that I approve of her =) She seems like a very nice lady - described by her friends as caring, compassionate, sociable, supportive, always with a smile on her face.


On a different note altogether, I'm starting to really enjoy my soups and teas. Winter paid an early surprise visit this year.

Btw, if you have nothing much to do, do visit one of my favourite blogs - waiterrant.net. His writing is absolutely superb. But please do excuse the vulgarity and the sexual connotations.

Day out with Ern and Jus

Taken two Sundays back - at Gertrude St.

Ivy introduced me to the area - she is one gurl that knows her food~! haha, my food guide.

Ern and I before our meal arrive. I love cozy cafe courtyards =)



After lunch, we moved to another cafe for dessert - Yes, we people can eat.

This place serve the best crepes~!!! Dining in that cafe made me feel like I was in France - my outfit matches the cafe ambience eh :P And the waiter that served us is from Paris.





Flaming crepes~! Rum + macademia



She who made our crepes - a view through our little window~!

It's funny how my old self is teaching me new things...

That's what i love about journals and blogs. Its a reflection on who we was and how we became who we are.

S, e-mailed me sometimes back. She was one of my dearest friends in Form 2. She typed out a snippet of something i wrote to her at that time. Wow, I never knew I had the capacity to think such big thoughts at that time :p haha.

S and I used to write notes to each other every single day even though we sat next to each other. Fun and carefree days. One of my most memorable years in high school. Definitely.


I was browsing through my old blog - and i found this entry. It kinda speaks to me now - 3 years on.

Speaking from the heart... In everything you do, do it unto the Lord. Lately, Ive been feeling a little unappreciated and a sense of feeling that Im not always not good enough. No matter what, theres always someone better than you, someone smarter than you, someone nicer than you. When, I look through that perspective, Im always doing it unto men (or women), and Im finally left feeling demoralized. This semester, God has been teaching me how to love unconditionally, no strings attached. It can been really difficult and tiresome at times. Its a long and tough process. Its against everything of the world. Im far from that goal. But Im glad Im walking or shall I say crawling towards it. Theres many a time, I want to be thanked or appreciated. But, as a servant of God, we should work in an unsuspecting way. Someone reminded me just now that in everything we do, do it unto the Lord. In the midst of all this, Ive missed the point and aimed at the wrong target. I'm glad that ive been redirected to the eternal focus. Lord, refresh my spirit. Refocus my mind. Recharge my body. Redirect my aim.

I realised that I have changed over the past few years. Not sure for better or worse. I miss that innocence i once had.
....

Hm, I had a tough day today - emotionally at least. A battle in my own head i suppose. No significant event happened. It was more of an accumulation of events i suppose. No one at fault and no one to blame but myself. I took a walk/jog in the park to clear my thoughts and I guess just to cry out to God. Literally.

I felt like I was in Job's situation. The problem was I did not react the same he did.

I have so much more to learn.

....

Church – did they get it wrong?

I walked out of the law building and quickly hustled to the main campus. My next class was about to start in 15 minutes and the class was located at the opposite end of the campus. Mid-way through ‘university square’ (it’s the park that separates the law building from the main campus), this guy approaches me. He had a clean-cut look, hair neatly combed to one side, wearing an ironed-press shirt - didn’t look too suspicious.

“Hi”

“Em…hi,” I replied, uncertain whether he was talking to me. I certainly have not seen him before.

“I’m a missionary,” he says as he points to his name tag around his neck.

“That’s good,” I replied in a tone that said I-feel-a-little-awkward.

“How was your day? I usually come to this park and try to talk to certain people about their faith. Do you go to church?” he continued.

“My day was good and I do go to church actually – one that is in the city,” I said as I quicken my pace.

“Me too but mine is outside the city.”

“That’s great.”

There was an awkward silence as I reached the traffic light.

“Hey, I got to go now. I’m late for class,” I said as I was about to dash across the road.

“The light is turning red. You can’t cross the road.”

“Darn.” I silently cursed the traffic light.

So which church do you go to? Do you go there every Sunday?” he asked me.

I answered his questions shortly and awkwardly. I was getting a little agitated.

Approximately 2 minutes later, the pedestrian light turned green, I said a quick bye and dash off into freedom.

While continuing my journey to class in the liberty of my own solitude, I asked myself why did I feel what I felt. After all, he is a Christian and I’m a Christian. I realised that I always shy away from these street missionaries. The same few things that always enter my mind would be:-

- Could this be something dodgy?
- What does he really want?
- Do you expect me to pour out all my problems to you in the first few minutes of knowing you?
- Is this just about luring me to your beliefs?

Did the traditional church get it wrong? Is this the best way to get someone to be a Christ-follower. Is it just about converting someone to a Christian? If I, a Christian, feel scared about being approach by a street missionary, what more a non-Christian?

I guess for me, it’s not about luring a person to Jesus but allowing a person to see the love, hope and faith that God has placed in us. After all, we are made in the image of Christ.

Gloomy days ahead?

Here’s what many have to say on Crown Casino, Melbourne:-

WHEN Crown Casino opened its doors 10 years ago, the celebrations were glittering — fireworks lit up the city skies, the rich and famous popped champagne corks and a Chinese dragon twisted its way along the river promenade. But not everyone agreed with original owner Lloyd Williams that this was a "gift to Melbourne". The dissenters included a half-naked actor (stripping made media attention a sure bet, according to Rachel Griffiths), a Baptist minister with powerful political connections (Reverend Tim Costello) and the then lord mayor of Melbourne (Ivan Deveson). They predicted many of the problems that have since afflicted people in this city — gambling addiction, theft and broken families.

Taken from the Age, 7 May 2007

In light of that, as much as the idea of opening two casinos (one marketed as an ‘entertainment centre’) in Singapore sounds enticing, the effects of it all will not be felt till a decade later.

Sure, the Singapore government suggests that they will limit the number of casinos which will then minimise the negative impacts of gambling. Tell that to the broken families who might be chased by loan sharks as a result of bad debts, especially when Singapore does not have a generous welfare system.

I remember during one of my trips up to Genting Highlands, Malaysia, a man who looked like life has been sucked out of him, approached my dad, begging him to buy his rolex watch. I asked my dad why he was selling his watch. My dad replied that it’s because he has gambled all his money away. I thought that perhaps the man could have once been someone respected and admired. He now looked like a pitiful creature, stooped down to a level of humiliation where he needs to beg in order to be clothed and fed.

Hm, but then again, the same can be said of substance abuse perhaps.