Friday, December 29, 2006

A Day In The Life Of A Pen Pusher During Chrissie

Am loving the late starts, long lunches and early ends at work during the holiday period!

Am partly beating myself up for not taking time off during this quiet period but am also partly glad I'm bludging on company time muahahaha!

The year is rapidly coming to an end and I just quickly reflected on the past year and it doesn't seem like I've done or achieved much.

Maybe this weekend will give me a clearer picture ...

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Santa Didn't Leave Me Any Presents

Christmas was spent stuffing our faces and soaking in the sun in our yard with family and friends.

Armed with thongs in one hand and a beer in another, The Boy cooked up a storm on the barbie.

The weather was pretty bleak in the morning so we shelved our plans to head to the beach. Had a nice long sleep in the morning before we we amped up the energy and fired up the barbie while people started filing in for the food and grog.

Whiled away Chrissie afternoon with food, drinks, card games, more food, karaoke (as asians do), more food and the baking in the sun.

All in all, it was noice!

Now I'm hit with a little Christmas blues. The thought of going back to work tomorrow makes me wish I took some time off so the festivities can continue. Ah well ... maybe next year.


chrissie barbeque in our yard

Big Man & Barbie

mucking around

I AM not!


Merry Christmas from us!!

Monday, December 25, 2006

Tis The Silly Season!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

May the season bring lots of joy and renewed confidence for next year!

Eat, drink up and be merry!

Monday, December 18, 2006

Mission Impossible

Last Friday at our management training we talked about mission statements. Our facilitator, who by the way is an amazing woman who has like 5 degrees under her belt and juggles motherhood AND a career that takes her around the world, asked us to write our own mission statement.

Now, it's lovely and all to write your own personal mission statement in 5 minutes and share it with a classroom of your colleagues. It is not so great when suddenly, I'm hit with a stark realisation *bing!!* that after having millions of goals and must-dos written down as a child, I've only very vague impressions of what my personal purpose is.

My personal mission statement that I wrote ... "To take chances and be the best I can be" - short and horribly cliché *shyness* Well, that was all I could come up with in 5 minutes! Coupled with the fact that I was sweating over the humiliation I was going to have to face reading this out in front of everyone. I survived the ordeal and then I got to seriously thinking.

As a child, I had a list of things I HAD to do before I turned 30.

Travel the world (still on the cards), meet the man of my dreams (check!), be a successful doctor (I was 10!), own a nice big house by the beach (before 30 sounds impossible), have billions of dollars in the bank (also impossible), have a degree (check! obviously I didn't realise being a doctor meant you had to have some sort of a degree. Again...I was 10!) etc. That list is probably still buried along with my Enid Blyton books. That is to say - these goals were made by a child.

As I am much more ahem ... mature now, I think it's time to re-evaluate that list.

My aspirations are a lot less tangible now compared to my 10 year-old self's. Needless to say, I was more or less a selfish, ambitious, incorrigible twat back then. That said, I think I'm still allowed a couple of material things on my list if I want to!

I rejigged my mission statement and this time I decided to put more thought and quality time into it. Yep ... I decided to sacrifice 10 minutes of TV time to write this:

"To live life with child-like wonder. To find happiness and contentment within myself through love, family and friends. To find my strength and wisdom from opportunities presented."

Not as deep or profound as I would like but who gives a crap? I'm sure I shall revisit this in 5 years (or maybe less) and still think I was such a selfish, ambitious, incorrigible twat.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Cupcakes!

I'm turning into quite a cooking monster. Just whipped up a couple of maple syrup cupcakes as a spur of a moment thing.

The kitchen is warm and smells heavenly ... just like every home should be.

Wolfed down 2 cupcakes fresh out of the oven ... yeeks! It's no wonder my waistline isn't shrinking as quickly as I want it to!

Monday, December 11, 2006

Movie By Moonlight

So I decided to organise a mini surprise for The Boy and take him out for a movie under the stars.

After ordering the boy off to the gym, I whipped up some dinner in record time and frantically packed it all in the esky. Amazing I didn't forget anything. We had typical picnic food - salad, chicken wings, mashed potatoes, baked pasta & cold drinks.

Rolled up our beach towels and a trusty blanket and whisked The Boy off to Centennial Park for a date night ... every girl needs a date night with her man once in a while!

I reckon I pulled off the whole shindig surprisingly well. He didn't know where we were going or what we were doing until midway to the city when he made a few educated guesses.

We managed to pick a nice little cosy spot and hired a bean bed so that yours truly could watch in comfort =D


The verdict?

Miami Vice was so-so but the company was fantastic! Next date night is yours, hon!

happiness under the stars

Belvedere Amphitheatre @ Centennial Park


i was too cheap to buy these premium seats ...



the boy posing for an obligatory pic

yours truly enjoying her bean bed


tucking in

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Fun In The Sun

Had a team chrissie party with my colleagues at Coogee Beach on Friday.

I am, albeit a little fried, so relaxed at the moment.

We headed off to Coogee at 1pm from work. I thought Friday was practically a write-off since the beach seemed to be the ONLY thing on everyone's mind.

The rest of the afternoon was about a lot of sun, booze and chit-chat.

No pics to post since we all drank ourselves silly and erm ... what happened at Coogee stays in Coogee.

Saturday, December 02, 2006

My New Toy

My new baby has arrived!!

Introducing the lovely Sony Cybershot N2!

10.1 Megapixels, 3-inch touchscreen panel and kick arse features wrapped up deliciously in a super sleek champagne gold casing *drool*

I'm going to be the biggest camwhore on earth very soon ...

Monday, November 27, 2006

Here Or There

A couple of months have since passed when I last saw my family. As much as it was a sad circumstance in which we had gathered for I was still nonetheless happy to be back home. It was almost felt like a relief. A relief from a sense of detachment and loneliness I have felt that I had suppressed.

In that short week and a half I felt like I belong again. Once again I felt comfortable and wanted and free. Things were familiar and comforting.

But I was happy and miserable all at once. Happy that I was in the company of my cherished loved ones. Miserable that I couldn't share the experience with the one I love who was thousands of miles away.

Mum tells me I have a sunny disposition - what she does not see is the longing and the tears when I'm away from them. And yet when I'm with them, my heart is pining for my dearest.

Over here I have love. I have independence and I have a career ahead of me. And yet there'll always be a void that can only be filled by kinship.

This here is my dilemma - my heart torn in separate directions. This here is my heartache - my saviours are my tormentors.

Friday, November 24, 2006

The One About The Train

*WARNING* Weak stomaches keep away. Hazard ahead.

I had a pretty crappy morning today ... literally.

As my train pulled into the station today I was scanning the seats from the platform as usual and thought - hey lots of seats today! No need to fight for a seat!

Stepped into the train to grab a seat and lo and behold - someone freaking SHAT all over the seats!

Chunks of HUMAN waste littered on the seats and floor. Some smeared artistically across those VERY AVAILABLE seats like peanut butter on toast.

And what is that big wet trail on the carriage floor??

I suppose Number 1 does come before Number 2 ...

O_o

Oh my lord ... the ~SMELL~ permeated practically the entire carriage.

Here I was thinking I have to run home and have a shower and some brave and quite obviously mental souls were taking seats so close to the brown mess.

How on earth do you take a dump on the train?!

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Colour Your Life

So I decided to do the Colorgenics profiling that a friend sent to me.

Here's what it says about me:


Utmost in your mind is success. You are constantly seeking stimulation and a life full of experience. You are trying to 'grow' and above all you need to develop freely and to shake off the shackles of self-doubt. You are an enthusiastic individual, full of life with the desire to live intensely. You like contact with others and are enthusiastic by nature. You are receptive to anything new, modern or intriguing. Your interests are many and you are likely to expand your fields of activities. You are optimistic about the future and you deserve every success because deep down you are a 'winner'.

You are a very warm and emotional individual but unfortunately in the past too many people have taken advantage of this sensitive trait. You need aesthetic surroundings, or an equally sensitive and understanding partner with whom to share a warm understanding.

The way things are, you feel that you are stuck in a rut and there is not much you can do about it. You feel frustrated and inhibited but if you can find a way to let yourself go, you may find that things aren't quite so bad as perhaps you thought they were. One consolation is that since you are an extremely emotional individual, with the right person you may be able to release some of that frustration and tension with some mutual tender loving care.

You are being unduly influenced by the situation that is all around you. You do not like the feeling of loneliness and whatever it is that seems to separate you from others. You know that life can be wonderful and you are anxious to experience life in all its aspects, to live it to the full. You therefore resent any restriction or limitations that are being imposed on you and you insist on going it alone.

You don't like authority and you rebel against all forms of limitation. You are your own person and you intend to stay that way and to get on in the world simply by your hard work and determination.


I reckon this is mostly true except for the rebellion.

I've always been a somewhat docile individual and prefer some form of authority in terms of my career. However this may not be entirely true in my personal life. Outside of work, the more someone pushes me in a direction the more I resist. Maybe people should know that I will come in my own time ...

Care to do some colour profiling yourself?

Friday, November 10, 2006

When I Grow Up

When I grow up I want to be a fairy and sprinkle my **fairy dust** upon unsuspecting sleeping children *teehee*

The little kid in me still believes I am invincible and still yearns to nuzzle into mum's tummy to hear her breathe and giggle over the funny sounds her tum tum is making.

The angsty teenager in me still believes the world is against her and is poised to rebel against anyone who stands in her way.

The young adult in me is chary of her surroundings and is constantly trying to prove herself.

The grown woman in me is recognising that her flaws and imperfections are nothing more than what god threw in to make us more interesting.

The old girl in me believes she's seen everything and misses the good ol' times sitting on the floor while mum tenderly runs a comb through her hair ... so so softly she could have fallen asleep.

When I grow up I want to be a time traveller.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Happy Birthday Munchkin!

So my baby sister is 23, yo!

Big girl already so I promise I won't share anymore embarrassing stories about you with my friends.


You know like that story about how your head got stuck in between our stair railings until dad came home?

Or how you sendiri jalan-jalan and then fell into a drain at night after dinner?

Or how you pandai-pandai play with matchsticks and almost burnt the house down?

Don't worry my lips are forever sealed *fingers crossed*


the spastic sisters

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Mucho mucho love and kisses from your #1 sister!!

Monday, November 06, 2006

Castles

I'm just skimming stones against the lake
While my dreams pass me by
Cos I've never known what to make of life
But I guess I'm willing to try

Sometimes it's better sometimes it's worse
Sometimes it heals sometimes it hurts ...

So hail to the morning wherever it dawns down on me
Cos it's now that I get to thinking
Some castles lie way beneath the sea

You always said that it would be such a long summer
And now its here and I can break the ice on this cold water

Sometimes it's better sometimes it's worse
Sometimes it heals sometimes it hurts ...

So hail to the morning wherever it dawns down on me
Cos it's now that I get to thinking
Some castles lie way beneath the sea

So hail to the morning wherever it dawns down on me
Cos it's now that I get to thinking this life's a mystery
So long live the moonlight wherever it dawns down on me
With the strength to part the ocean
I'll find my castle lies way beneath the sea

Castles - Sandi Thom

Beauty is beneath the surface ...

Friday, November 03, 2006

I'll Be Home Tonight

I miss home.

Many things can trigger homesickness for people at certain times. For me - it was a song this time.

Ever heard a tune play and suddenly you're 8 again and sitting next to the stereo bopping your head with not a care in the world and singing to Kylie's "I Should Be So Lucky" with your crumpled lyric sheet in hand?

Or you're 20 and suddenly aware you don't have your parents eyeing your every move anymore and you're driving along with your friends singing "No Such Thing" and know that we have our whole lives ahead of us?

Or you hear Tony Bennett crooning away "The Way You Look Tonight" and you're reminded again of the reason you fell in love with the person you call your everything.

This time it was a song I know not the name or words but the melody takes me back home.

The place where you grew up always retains a certain charm that takes you back again and again.
I miss the familiar smells in the morning of freshly brewed kopi susu and I miss the taste of fresh kopitiam toast generously spread with kaya and topped with a cold slab of butter all dipped in perfectly cooked soft-boiled eggs with soy sauce and pepper.

I miss the mornings in bed and hearing granny put on the kettle and make her cup of cereal and knowing that dawn is not too far away now and it's a brand new day again.

I miss the familiar faces and my mother calling the dog in mock anger and then catch her cooing scruffy when he's being his usual lovely self.

Home - when will I see you again?

Monday, October 30, 2006

Across Borders

Borders is a BAD BAD place for people like me who exercise no self-control when it comes to books.

Saturday seemed like any other normal day. Tagged along with The Boy since he needed a little spinal action at the chiro. I should have known better. I should have stayed at the clinic waiting room instead of wandering around the credit card hazard that
Bondi Junction Westfield is *$kaching$*

The last thing I remembered was walking past Borders and I thinking - "Pffftt ... you're NOT going to make me buy anything this time!"

The next thing I remembered was looking down and I was holding a BIG bag with "Borders" splashed across it as if to mock me and what looked like 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... omigod 5IVE freaking books and 1 magazine!!

Damn you Borders! Damn you!! *shakes fist at Borders*

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Here Comes The Sun!

Daylight savings starts tonight which means longer days, more sunshine and lots of happy days ahead!

I love summer!

Friday, October 20, 2006

Celebrity Look Alikes

I've always wondered which celebrity people think I look like ... now I know :)

fooyooh ... tyra banks 74%!

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Floriade

About 3 Saturdays ago, The Boy and I headed down to Canberra for Floriade, the annual flower show.

Really the only thing worth heading to the the capital city for if you're not looking to score some weed or firecrackers.

The drive there was pretty ordinary with a customary pit stop at macca's for brekkie on the way and then a change of drivers. And of course every road trip is never complete without some squabbling about how I drive - Shaddup now, you! *grumble grumble*

We got there in one piece and still very much together.

And of course the camera had to NOT work when you need it! Anyway we took pics using my trusty camera phone.

Floriade? - Beautiful. I'll let the pictures do the talking.




Lunch was calamari and chips at an irish bar in the city and then The Boy drove back while I drifted off into Dreamland ... as I should be :)

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Land Of The Rising Sun

Land of the rising sun ... damn straight!

Saturday was a freaking scorcher and I dragged The Boy to the Japan Festival at Darling Harbour after the driving debacle.


konnichiwa!

I don't know what was wrong with people but 10 mins under that intense heat was enough to send me running for cover under trees, electric poles and even people.

People were sprawled out on the grass at Tumbalong Park happily bumping up their chances of getting melanoma. I saw plenty of little girls decked out in their colourful yukatas - are their parents nuts?! At least the boys were in their right frame of mind and wore shorts and t-shirts.


lady, you must be melting

choi! this uncle must be REALLY hot!

Me - furiously fanning myself and The Boy with complimentary fan collected at one of the booths. Damn PANAS!

I would have enjoyed their performances a lot more if I didn't feel like I was being baked alive.

The Boy and I managed to catch some drum action and part of the opening ceremony before escaping from the 42 degree weather.



what's with men and their drums?

The food was a little disappointing. There was a GRAND TOTAL of 5 food stalls ... not so great when you have 2 very hot and very hungry people who love their food. Okonomiyaki, fish cakes & yakisoba we had.

Left the festival, hopped into the car, turned up the air-conditioning.

The Boy: So where do you want to go now?
Me : Anywhere! Anywhere! Anywhere there's air-con! Westfield la! *fan fan fan*
The Boy: Hahaha

Don't know why he thought that was funny but I was serious ...

Headache Only!

How did it happen?!

Everytime The Boy and I have an argument it's over something ridiculously petty and it just boils over and becomes bigger than it should have been.

Granted every relationshop has their highs and lows but it's frustrating that something trivial becomes something that could make or break a relationship.

What happened to laughing at yourself and laughing with each other? What happened to not taking things too seriously?

How could we spend an hour tearing our hairs out, screaming (in hopes that the louder we scream the more we'd understand) and end it just short of strangling each other?

Things would be so much easier if you realised that I'm always right and just let me win!

headache only

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Licence To Kill

I can't believe I failed the goddamn test! Over the stupidest thing.

No - I did NOT collide with another car.

No - I did NOT kill anyone.

And yes - I STOPPED at a stop sign.

see ... I stopped wert

I was flunked because I didn't go far out enough when turning right at the traffic lights. Argh!!

How do you fail someone with an overall driving score of +90%?! That can't be right ...

Another test in 3 weeks. Must. Not. Fail.

Attack Of The Alpha Male

Help! I live with an alpha male!

Leader of the pack? Man of action? A man's man?

Incredibly desirable personality but can be highly frustrating at times especially when you're driving and he's on the passenger seat.

Situations requiring someone to step up and take the reigns? - Perfect! Love him!

Situations where the driver is already incredibly tense when driving and then continue to tell the driver what she is doing wrong and not telling her how to correct the problem? - Can someone please hand me a noose?

Breathe ... breathe - in with the love and out with the hate. No darl, I don't hate you but god you can be annoying sometimes!

Saturday, October 07, 2006

My Secret

The first step to overcoming addiction is admitting that you have a problem.

I have a problem.

I'm addicted to goss - no not gloss and no not floss either.

Yes - goss.

Lindsay, Jessica, Nicole, Ashlee, Paris, Brad & Ange - hello, I know them all.


Is that half a forest in my room?

Pick me up! Pick me up! You know you want me ...

Help me.

Monday, October 02, 2006

Gone

Long weekend came and gone. Kill me now!!

Thursday, September 28, 2006

4 Years

Reflecting upon the past year, we've certainly had our share of ups and downs.

Petty arguments, cold shoulders, tantrums, random outbursts, moodiness, hissy fits - from me.

But we've also had long meaningful conversations, kisses and cuddles, foot massages, compromising, comforting when things aren't going our way and celebration when things are.

Another year in our relationship and we understand more and more about the complexities of life and what being in a committed relationship is about. It's about honesty and respect. It's about being there for each other even when you don't feel like it. It's about putting in the effort to make it work.

Without you I am lost. Without you I am nothing.

Happy 4th Anniversary, sweetness ...

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Where's the money tree?

I need to make some serious moolah!

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Missing You

Originally written on 22nd September 2006 10.34pm

I miss you even more now that you're gone
My heart is heavy and my soul forlorn
Last time I saw you I didn't realise
I will never again see those charming warm eyes


I wish we never had to say goodbye

While I'm surrounded by a world of lies and frustrations
Your raucous laughter echoes in my head

I'm shattered
The thought of never hearing you call my name again
I'm heartbroken
So many will never have their hearts touched by your soul
I'm proud
For the many souls you've saved

I never realised how much you meant to me before you left

Now I know

I miss you so ...


You bring joy into my life

In the arms of my love

Cooking Monster

Originally written on 21st September 2006 2.23pm

Am in the mood for cooking!

Tuna pasta bake it is! Full of yummy cheesy goodness ... calcium mah :D

Hypothetically Speaking

Originally written on 19th September 2006 1.01pm

Hypothetical question for the day.

Would you tell your friend/family that their partner was cheating on them?

Would you be willing to put your relationship with the cheatee on the chopping block? Risk many years of friendship or kinship to get the truth out? Many of us would balk at the thought of being the person who breaks the news. The messenger more than likely always gets shot when love is on the line.

But could you bear the thought of knowing and not being able to doing anything? I know I would be racked with guilt at the thought of keeping someone in the dark about the “extra-curricular” activities of their partner.

And what if you told them and they didn’t believe you? That could spell the end of a relationship. Or what if you told them and they feel like you’re humiliating them?

And when is the right time to tell? Is there ever a right time for bad news?

The question would be – would you want someone to tell you if your partner is cheating on you? Would you believe them if they told you?

Shiny Happy People

Originally written on 19th September 2006 11.12pm

It's a beautiful day outside! I should be outside soaking in the sun and living it up!

Forget deadlines! Forget your brimming inbox!

On days like these, life should be about basking in the warmth of the sun while laying on the grass and getting lost in a book.

Oh how simple life would be ...

Working 9 to 5

Originally written on 18th September 2006 4.13pm

Another start of a working week. These days I've been struggling to keep ahead and it's a daily battle to keep focused. I can't help but think I need to reevaluate the direction my career is heading seriously.

I've been lucky. The people I have worked with have been nothing but amazing. The support and encouragement I've received has been pivotal in getting as far as I have. There's always something missing. Perhaps it's the waking up and feeling like you WANT to go to work? I'm not exactly hoping to bounce out of bed every morning and skip to work but I suppose if only I had a bit more enthusiasm it would be make a difference.

I guess it's all about an attitude change ... or a career change!

But what would I do? What CAN I do?

Unfortunately I'm not particularly talented at anything. If only I was born with an aptitude for something extremely rare then I would just KNOW what I'm going to do. But then when you have a gift, it also means your life depends on it. Then being a jack of all trades would mean I'd never be the best I can be at something because basically I'm mediocre at everything.

What to do? What to do??

Lazy weekend blogging

Originally written on 17th September 2006 5.42pm

It's on days like these that I wish that weekends were 3 days long and life doesn't revolve around work

It's on days like these that I wish we could return to a time when responsibility was a word adults used

It's on days like these that I wish we could while away the afternoons basking underneath the sun

It's on days like these that I wish tomorrow's reality is a long long long way away

enjoying the sun

Home is where the heart is

Originally written on 16th September 2006 5.55pm

The hands of time stops when I'm with you
Suddenly the clouds part and the sun is shining through
Butterfly flutters - be still my beating heart
If only we could forever spend our days never apart

I see the sun dancing in your eyes
The gentle breeze filled with our lazy sighs
Your loving hands softly tracing my face
Where am I? Where is this place?

You are where you should be ... you are home
And here you will never be alone

Time Travelling

Originally written on 15th September 2006 3.48pm

If you could go back in time, what would you tell yourself? - "Follow you heart not your head"

Against All Odds

Originally written on 14th September 2006 4.54pm

Do you ever feel like the odds are all stacked up against you? It's me against the world ... or God. Or no matter how hard you're trying, it feels a little bit like you're in your car and you're stuck in the mud and no matter how hard you step on the gas, you're not going anywhere but instead you're making a bigger mess.

Maybe the answer to getting out isn't stepping harder on the gas. Maybe I need to roll up my sleeves, get down and dirty and start shovelling.

If you had a choice to start over with a clean slate with everything that you know now, would you? ... I'm tempted to say Yes because why wouldn't you want to start over with everything that you know now? Why wouldn't you WANT to go back and fix everything in your life that you've done wrong? Why wouldn't you WANT to go back to get to know your loved ones better before they went so you won't feel as guilty as you do now because you took their presence for granted? Why wouldn't you WANT to go back and change every wrong answer you've ever written in your tests? Why wouldn't you WANT to go back rewrite your history?

But no, as much as having the opportunity to create the life I want now seems enticing I wouldn't want to do it. It would mean I may never meet the wonderful (and awful) people I know now and I may never fully appreciate the struggles of living life. Every mistake I made thus far is a testament to the person I am today. And that is (I hope) a person of integrity and a person who gives a damn and a person who tries and a person who has so much love to give and a person who finishes what she starts.

Not Satisfied

I have 4 blogs to my name - only one which I do maintain. Time to consolidate!!