.holidays 09

seasons greeting 2009.

Christmas came and gone. And now, everyone's preparing to celebrate the arrival of 2010...

Hmm.. Should I do a reflection of 2009? Maybe I will towards the end of the year, in a few days time....

Subprime Crisis, please go away... It's all thanks to you that I have to endure another few years of long distance relationship..

.merry belated xmas

.to cherish

mother & son on a christmas eve.

One of the sweetest moments I've witnessed...

Christmas Eve always makes me weak.. I don't know why... Especially this year since.. Well.. You know.

:(

Anyways, enough negative thoughts! I hope you guys are enjoying Christmas right now. :)

Growing up in a typical, non-religious Malaysian-Chinese family, I've never formally celebrated Christmas before, unless dropping-by-neighbors-place-over-Christmas counts. So tell me, how does Christmas really feel like? Is it enjoyable because of the pile of presents you are getting? Is it because of the family reunion? Dinner? Turkey?

.for savoring

mon chocolat favorit.

There was this buy-two-for-18-dollars Ferrero Rocher deal at Coles today and so I decided to buy it. I'm not sure if this is cheaper than usual, but I bought it anyway. The deal should still be around tomorrow so do drop by your nearest Coles supermarket if you're craving for some!

Let's hope I won't finish all 60 of these before Christmas. :P

.snap out of it!!!

Key to independence.

You know.. I just want to snap out of this being-depressed-about-going-on-a-long-distance-relationship feeling. You guys are probably sick and tired of my rantings already and I am just as sick of it as y'all.

And it's easier said than done. Am I not trying hard enough? :\

.inside and outside

Past and Present.

On the outside, I am a cheerful, fun-loving chick whom most people enjoy hanging out with...

But...

My world on the inside is currently filled with the total darkness - it is filled with despair, pain and uncertainty.
Part of me just refuses to accept the truth, and the other part of me is aware that this will do him, and most importantly, us, good.
But I am going to go with the latter - I will force the other part to see this positively.. And I have to!

I know I will definitely release all these tears that are building up when the time comes.. So let's just see it as tears of joy - that we're moving into a new chapter of the relationship.

.the move

cleared.

The wardrobe is 85% cleared. We are moving out again after 1.5 year in this apartment unit. It seems almost like we've just moved in yesterday..

Well, this move isn't as bad as the last one, considering that we are just going to move a few floors down. There is no need to pack everything into boxes since we have a couple of weeks to move things down. We have been making about five trips down per day and it seem to be working well! All we need right now is a professional mover for a couple of hours for the furniture..Um not right now, but soon.

The new place looks pretty much the same as the current one. The only significant difference is the color of the tiles in the bathroom and kitchen, and that the study area doesn't come with a sliding door. So that makes it a 1 bedroom, rather than a 1 bed+study.

Good thing about the new place is that ventilation is so much better! That's probably the advantage of having a balcony but that means I'll have to find somewhere to store all the boxes and stuff that have been lying on our winter garden since 1.5 year ago. :\

Anyways, we might reward ourselves a little bit and go on a short (2-3 days) vacation interstate after the move. :D

Oh and I'll post up photos of the new place as soon as we settle down!

.inspiring summer

Colorful summer.

As majority of you would already know, summer is my least favorite season of the year.. And interestingly enough, I seem to get most of my photography inspiration during the sunniest time of the year.

Why? I don't really know, perhaps it's the bright, vibrant shades of colors that only appears during this time of the year. Everything just seems much more appealing and yummy under the hot sun than any other time of the year.

Oh wait, autumn is my favorite season of all due to the shades of red, orange and yellow but autumn also marks the time when I'd be horribly sick for a whole month. :\

Anyways, here's another shot from today's trip to Healesville - Marysville - Lake Mountain in the Yarra & Dandenong Ranges:

.back for 7 weeks

I'm back!

It felt weird having to walk towards the departure gate knowing that everyone's walking the opposite direction, towards the arrival hall. Majority of the people I know were heading back home (overseas) for the summer break while I had to come back to Melbourne.

I don't mind spending 2/3 of my summer here, considering the fact that SF and I have (finally) decided to go on a long distance relationship from late-January on. This is our last 6 -7 weeks together for a few years and I want us to spend as much time with each other as possible.

The second reason why I'm back is because I'm moving.......Where? Just a few floors down. Hehee! I told a few people that I had to go back to Melbourne in December to move and everyone said the same thing. To them, moving probably means "relocating-10-or-more-kilometers-away". Here's the conversation:

Other person: Why are you going back to Melbourne in December? Why not stay [in Malaysia + Singapore] for the whole break?
_pdra: Oh, because I need to move house... *Pretending to frown*
Other person: Huh??? Again??? Where are you moving to???
_pdra: .......Just a few storeys down. Heheeee!
Other person: .............. -_-;

Third reason why I am back is because I am hoping to get permanent residency status by late-January... But I doubt I'll be able to get it that soon.. :\ But anyways, here's hoping that SF will get his PR in the next few weeks considering that he has submitted his application few months earlier than me.

:\

.the baby with good eyesight

spotted!

I was queuing up for the bathroom onboard SQ217 (Singapore to Melbourne) last Wednesday and spotted this baby, who stared at me, and then my camera at random intervals.
Now, the question is, how did the baby spot my camera from 8 meters/26 feet away? It wasn't as if the camera was in primary colors.

I had to pretend I was browsing through images from the camera while pressing the shuttle real quick.. But umm I think the baby's mom noticed something. :P

.off

Going back.

This should have been updated like, 10 days ago.. But I was too excited about my brother's wedding to do anything online.

I guess I don't have any more excuses not to update since we are all settled down. It's great to have a new family member in this house – sis-in-law. Once again, welcome to the family! :D

And so you ask.. What have I been doing over the past 1.5 week here? Well, let's see.. I've been catching up on food, resting, catching up on TV shows, talking to my family members. My dad missed me loads and he kept saying "Haven't seen you in so long [9 months]!"

I'll be back in Melbourne next Wednesday..For another 2 months, before coming back home again for the Lunar New Year.

Hmmm...... *silent*

Will update again real soon!

.hs for life

The symbol of love.

Congratulations bro! And welcome to the family, sister-in-law!

.誕生日

of birthday & sock monkey.

今日は私の誕生日である。Today is my birthday.

For those of you who have left messages on Facebook and sent text messages, thank you so much!!! :)

And most importantly, thank you SF, for getting me this cute Paul Frank sock monkey even though the first one (pink in color) annoyed the hell out of you. :P I'm going to miss celebrating your birthdays as well as mine for a while.. So all I can say is, come back soon, love! :)

.i've forgotten.....

Reading Glasses.

...How to study for the exams.

Seriously, it has been soooo long since I sat for my last exam, I think it was for this unit called Web 3D Technology at RMIT Uni.

And...It's..So...Bloody...Hot here. Seriously.. I feel like I am 20% melted already. But this doesn't give me an excuse not to study for the exam, which takes place in 4 days time.

Wait.. 4 Days?? 4 DAYS!!?!?!?!? OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay better get back to exam review now.. I still haven't quite understand ColdFusion and JavaScript yet. Gotta read. READ READ READ!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh wait.. I haven't figure out how to study for the exam... Umm.. I'll get by.. Hopefully.

.dear summer...

Docklands, Victoria.

Dear summer,

I hate you. I hate you for making me sweat like there's no tomorrow.. I hate you for making me moody for no reason - because when I am moody, I'd affect the people around me.. And I hate it when people around me are moody because of me.

I know you'll advise me to get some gelati on Lygon Street but NO, I don't friggin' want to walk outside in this kind of weather, I don't want to walk under YOU!!! Because I hate you!!!

And I also hate the fact that you are here to stay until mid-March next year. Now I have to worry about my camera's well-being, because those babies cannot tolerate heat as well as I can, even though I am struggling myself. Oh, and not forgetting my babies' babies, the lenses.

Gosh.. Summer, now I might have to starve myself for months or get my lens later because of you. I have to get one of those portable air-conditioners because of YOU. You would probably ask me to blame this on the landlord for not installing an air-conditioner for us.. Well I am too, but still, it's all BECAUSE OF YOU, Summer. If you didn't exist in the first place I wouldn't have to suffer like this.

You probably wouldn't be heart-broken anyways, since lots of people still love you for what you are. I might still love you too if you are 25 degrees Celsius and below.

Anyways, before I end this letter, summer, I just want to tell you once again, that I hate you. Nothing can describe my hatred against you.



With little regards,
_pdra

P.S. Oh, and THANKS A LOT for the hay fever. Spring was a lot more lenient with the hay fever so maybe you should learn from her.

.why? just BS!

I should be rushing on my 3000-word research paper now considering the fact that I have only got less than 23 hours to go.. But I have to type this up before I forget!


_pdra: *gets up and stretch* Ahhhh.. 1,800 words to go.......
SF: *wide eyed* What!? Why so little!? What have you been doing??
_pdra: *yawn* Been trying to type!!! I have done what you advised me to do – expand each points! But still I only have 1,200 words! T_T
SF: But what's so hard about it??? Just bullsh*t one or two sentences?
_pdra: I tried, I tried!!! Gotta stay up tonight.. And I'm struggling to stay awake!!!


Okay, back to work. SF must be thinking that I'm working hard on the essay now since I am typing fast. WHY CAN'T I TYPE LIKE THIS FOR THE RESEARCH PAPER?? I WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE BY NOW IF I COULD! :(

***Will find a photo for this entry later.

.professional procrastinator

Oh.My.God.

My research paper is due in less than 48 hours time and I am still stuck on 1st draft. I think I'm the only postgraduate student who actually procrastinates?

助けて！！！

.3.5 months till we meet daily

Last day of the Semester (Monash University, Caulfield Campus).

Where did all the time go!!?!?!?!!? I was just starting to get the hang of first semester and am actually enjoying it!

Sigh.. 1st semester is over.. That means I have only got 3 more semesters to go.. I know it sounds really long but to me, it will be over in a blink.. And I don't want that to happen....yet!

I'll still be dropping by uni this Friday to turn in my assignments, but I reckon I'll only get to stay for less than an hour unless I decide to sit at uni to work on another assignment, which is due next Friday..

:(

Am I the only one who's actually not looking forward to the 3-month summer break???

I don't want to enroll myself in summer units too, because that means I'll get to graduate early.. Well.. I guess the reason why I don't want this to be over is because I have met some really great people over the past 3 months (you guys know who you are!)..

Gosh.. I enjoy being busy! It's so fulfilling.. And I think some of the assignments that I have done over the semester are actually portfolio-worthy, especially the final project in film class – everyone seem to like what we have done! Click here if you haven't already watched it!

Hmm.. All good things have to come to an end... :\

--

But anyways, I have already got stuff planned for the summer.. I'm hoping to complete an unfinished project before uni starts, and at the same time I am planning to create something... *fingers crossed* I don't plan to reveal anything right now but I will later on. ;)

Okay, back to assignments.

.my first encounter with alcohol/drug test on-the-go

Individual (photo taken in 2008).

..Umm, you know, where 20 policemen's (why do they need so many stationed in one section anyway?) would stand around, holding one of those breath tester thinger to check how much alcohol or drugs drivers have had?

Yup.

I'm 22 going 23 in less than a month. Oct 17th, 2009 marks the day when I'd first encounter one of those things. I had nothing to worry about since I haven't had alcohol in like, 8 months.. Chinese cooking wine don't count as alcohol, does it?

I wasn't worried at all when I got tested, because I knew my conscience was clear (and still is). My purpose of driving today was just to get me from home to uni for a group assignment.

It was just a normal day.

What amused me was that I got tested TWICE in a day, once at around 12.55pm, and another at around 6.50pm, a mere 6-hour gap.

Hmmm......

.you snooze you lose

You snooze you lose!!!

I woke up this morning without hesitation.. And checked my phone for the time, as usual.

"Oh.. It's 10.54am..... wait.. What!?!? 10.54am!?!?! Tuesday!?!?!?!!!"

"F***!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"*Pinch cheeks* Am I dreaming? Is this a dream????? *Pinch* Noooo, it's not a dream!!!!!! F***!!!!!!!"

10.54AM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM SOOOOOOO DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was supposed to be up by 7.20am!!! Especially today, since we are supposed to present our corporate identity stuff to a real client – a CEO, who was coming in today. What the f*** happened to the eff-ing alarm clock!!?!?!!!

A friend from class messaged and gave me a call but my stupid phone was on flight mode! Damn!!! I shouldn't use flight mode anymore, at least not on the night before an important day!


I text messaged my friend to ask if the client has arrived yet.
"okay this is bad. My alarm didn't go off. Have you guys started?" I typed (frantically).
"Not yet. But he's coming at 11. See ya!" She replied.

I dash to the bathroom, washed up, got dressed, and did some final touches. It only took 10 minutes for me to get ready this morning. I dash towards the tram stop right across my apartment, got on the next available tram (even though it was crowded) and got off at Flinders St. Station.

"FFFFFFFFFFF. I'm screwed I'm screwed I'm screwed!!!!!!!"

My friend reassured me (by text) that I will get there on time, because he was slowly going through with each and every students about their logo proposal.. And have saved me one of the very last seats. I owe her one!!!

I looked towards platform 8 for one of the Frankston limited express trains.. Yep, there's one.. AND IT'S THERE!!!! "RUN, SANDRA, RUN!!!!!!!!!!" I made yet another dash towards the train. "Phew, I made it!"

..Managed to get to uni 15 minutes later.. The first thing I did when entering the studio was look for the CEO.. I thought I didn't made it until I saw his back on one corner. He was talking to one of the students.

"Wow.. I.. Actually made it?"

My group of friends started laughing (in a good way of course) as I walked towards their work desks.

Oh.My.God. That was a close one!!!!! And I am still traumatized by it!!!!!! :\

Lesson #1: Never turn off your phone or leave it on flight mode the night before an important day!!!
Lesson #2: Use a proper digital alarm clock. Get multiple clocks if possible.

What a day!!!



But at least there was one good piece of news... The apartment I have applied for has been approved!!! Yay!!! Just few storeys down from my current one!!!

.to click or not to click?

5 minutes ago, I was attempting to book an air ticket back home for the big day...

And 1 minute ago, I closed the website without confirming my booking.

..Yup, I am still waiting to see if I am allowed to take the exam early.. After all, it's just one exam and I'm currently doing reasonably well for that unit...

I don't know when I will be notified... It's a 50-50 right now and I have no guts to click "confirm booking" on the airline website. I am afraid that I'll jinx my chance badly if I do buy a ticket now...

But even so, I have a really bad feeling about this.. But I'm still going to go no matter what, even if it means being late for my exam on the next day.

I know my reason for taking the exam early isn't as valid as those who have been seriously ill or have been going through some bad personal/family issues, but I feel that my reason is just as important as those mentioned above.

Sigh.. If only the exam date was set a day later, I could still make it back for the event and return on time for my paper...

There's nothing I can do right now I guess, except to finish up my assignments and pray with faith..

*fingers crossed*

.the painful wait

The black CBD.

I am supposed to be working on my assignments right now.. But instead, I am just sitting in front of the computer, restless, staring at my Inbox and waiting for the news.

The news.

Yes, the news.

I HAVE to be back by the 15th November no matter what. And I am desperately wanting to be there.. For his big day.

It's a once in a life time thing.. I need to be there for him, just as the other family members would.

..But.. This isn't my decision – I can't make the decision. Someone will...

Please let me take the exams early.. I don't care how early it is, I HAVE to be there!!!

.moving again

We are moving out... For real.

Yep.. So we've only got about 3 months left in this apartment. I know I'm going to miss it a lot, because this will be my last time living in a high level apartment.

I am aware of the fact that we will eventually have to vacate this place.. Sooner or later.. Sooner is better I reckon since I am already so attached to this place.. What I dread is that there is a high chance of me signing the next lease all by myself..

I know, you guys might suggest that I have a housemate. I'm not saying that it's a bad idea.. But I know things won't go well if I share the new place with someone else.. I'm not an ideal housemate for anybody, and nobody deserves to have a bad housemate to start with. I spend a lot of time in the shower, I'd prefer to do my dishes a few hours after dinner (or sometimes 1 day after), I.. Don't want to feel like I have to clean up just because I have a housemate.

Guess that shows I am someone who is better off living by herself..

I'll get over it.. But for now, let's hope I'll be able to find a cheaper place that's as good as the current one.

.the one about credit cards

Uh-oh.

I have just received my new debit credit card over the mail a couple of days ago.. And yes, life has gotten a little more convenient since!

But I fear for my near future.. Especially when it comes to online shopping.

Better make it a point to remind myself everyday that this credit card can only be used for air tickets back to Singapore and City Link payments.

.double trouble

Trouble [on Victoria Street, Melbourne].

SF and I were in the middle of hanging our laundries when all of a sudden, he said, "Wow look! There's a car accident there [by Victoria Street].. And there's even a police car!"

And we stopped what we were doing and checked out the scene from our apartment's winter garden. "Where's your telephoto zoom lens?" SF asked. "I wanna zoom in on the camera and see what's going on."

I went and grab my 350D with the EF-S 55-250mm attached. Took a few photos before passing it to SF, who started commenting on stuff while he looked through the camera's viewfinder.

Hmm.. Interesting. Part of me was intrigued by the car accident, and part of me felt sorry for those involved. - they probably stood under the rain for an hour or something. :\

So.. Here are the questions.. by SF and me.

1. What did that blue car do!?!? How did the driver end up in the lane that's going opposite direction!?

2. Seriously, was it really necessary for the authorities to block 2 - 3 lanes on Victoria Street? I mean, it was peak hour and there's always traffic congestion on Victoria St. at around this time every weekday.


Tell us what you think!

._pdra on twitter

Okay, here's another post that's quite unrelated to photography.

Are you guys on Twitter? I think everyone's on Twitter these days yea? If not umm, you should go sign up for one, so that you can follow me! :P

I was one of the earliest people to own a Twitter account I think. I don't remember how I'd heard of this 140-letter update thingamagy. All I remember was that... It was during the summer break (sometime late-January 2007). I was bored.. And was surfing the internet that night, as usual.

And then I came across Twitter.. Once again, I was bored.. So I decided to sign up for fun. As of today, I have updated 2,419 times on Twitter since 2.8 years ago. :)

So, if you do want to follow me (and listen to my daily rants in 140 letters, click on the image below and Follow. :) I'll also announce new blog posts whenever I update.. So.. Do it now! Follow me!

.that sneaky dude in uni

Building G (Art & Design building), Monash Uni (Caulfield Campus)

Now, before you start assuming that I am here to complain about my life, I would like to let you know that I am not going to complain about uni life. I love uni! My new friends are really awesome and we click really well, and.. Well, generally, life is very fulfilling for me right now!

But.. You know, life is never always perfect.. No matter how hard you try.. Like SF said, "Life is not all fairy tale." .. I guess he is right.

*Ahem* okay, back to the topic, about that sneaky dude in 2 of my classes.. Some of you may not what I am talking about... But for those of you who don't, fear not - because I am going to tell you what's going on. First, I don't know if that dude is going to read this entry, chances are, no, because I don't think he knows about my blog.

This is a guy who has been staring at me since the beginning of the semester. Initially, I thought he was just some friendly guy in class so I smiled back whenever he smiles and greets me.. But after a while, I started feeling uncomfortable. "Why would someone smile at another person for over 5 seconds?" I thought.

Week 3 - He came up to me to grab files that I have copied off the tutor's desktop in studio even though his friends (with the same files) were right beside him... And again, he smiled at me for 5.. no, 10 seconds.

Week 4 - I was doing my own things (alone) and he came and talk to me... You would probably think it's just a casual chat, that he wants to me friends.. But I don't feel this way. I felt uncomfortable. Judging from the way he behaved and looked at me, it's very obvious to me that he wants to be more than friends.

Week 5 - He stared at me while I handed my hard drive to the tutor, so that he could play the video clip (an assignment for that class).. I wasn't looking at him but I could tell he was smiling at me from the side of my eyes. I was greatly annoyed but didn't do anything - all I did was avoid eye contact with him. Later, he came and talk to me about my assignment, asked me what I did during my free time and when I announced that I spend time with my other half, he looked disappointed for a second and tried to hide it. "Friends don't get disappointed when they find out you are taken.", said one of my friends.

Week 6 - I ignored him when he called out my name. My friends thought that was funny, LOL.

Week 7 & 8 - Peace.

Week 9 (this week) - I was waiting for my friend when he saw me sitting alone by myself. I did not look at him, and that I was reading a novel and listening to my iPod. From the side of my eyes, I could see he was looking around (sneakily), probably to see if my friends were coming and decided it was actually safe to talk to me. The moment he called my name, I stood up and said, "I gotta go." and dash away. I didn't know where to go, so I thought I'd go back to the studio. I called my friend (the one I was waiting for) and asked where she was.

---

I wasn't sure if I was overreacting, so I kept quiet for a while.. I didn't want my friends to think I'm complaining too much...

I knew I had to tell someone in uni.. So I decided to tell my friends one day.. I was sooooo relieved when they agreed with my thoughts and assured me that I wasn't thinking too much.

Well, back to present. I went and look for the friend, who was in one of the labs with another one of our friends and I wasted no time telling them about what happened. "OMG, are you okay? You look flushed." She commented. I admitted to both of them that I felt very, very vulnerable. :\

My friend asked if I needed her company or something but knowing that she is rushing for an assignment due this Friday, I said I'll be okay alone, and that I'll let her know if anything happens. She suggested that I pretend to talk on the phone if I do see that sneaky dude somewhere. Thank God I didn't see him anywhere.


Okay, now, do you think I am over reacting? I am absolutely sure that it is natural instinct for one to avoid someone else who makes him/her uncomfortable. I hate conflicts, that's why I am choosing to "ignore" rather than "confront".

All I need to do now is to bear with this for a few more weeks.. And hope that we don't share the same class next semester.

.9/11

911

9/11 - Never forget.

And I've only got about 4 months of cherishing-our-time-together to do. Sigh..

.the one about cooking

Makizushi.

Chances are, our mothers have been taught to cook and sew at a very young age.... And umm chances are, they didn't have much education opportunities, like us. :\

"You cannot handle [cooking this/that]!!!" Or "You don't know how to prepare/cook [this/that]!!!", are comments by SF, whenever I try to attempt some advance cooking, like deep frying chicken wings.. Haha, alright, alright, I know he meant well, and that he didn't want me to get my hands burnt while cooking..

And that got me thinking. How many girls my age can actually cook as well as my mom can? I would say not a lot, since we have all pretty much spent our childhood learning math and science in school, and not to mention, homework.

If I could cook and sew, I wouldn't be sitting here typing up a blog entry.. I would probably be making desserts or mending some broken tops or bottoms.

So, let's see, how many of you can cook as well as your mothers or grandmothers, and can hand make clothings? :P

Oh but umm I do know a couple of friends who can cook and/or sew really well! You girls (and guys) know who you are! :)

--

Wait, I know how to make delicious sushi's (see above image).. And chocolate muffins! Does that count? :D

.medicine

Pills.

My throat felt funny last Tuesday morning, when I woke up and got ready for uni. I instantly knew that I was coming down with a flu. I decided against resting at home since I wasn't contagious.. Yet. I felt the same on Wednesday morning and decided to go to class as well.

The runny nose came in early Thursday morning, when I woke up to use the bathroom. I knew it was time anyways, because the flu bug normally visits every 8 to 9 months. So I stayed home on Thursday and Friday..

Truth is, I didn't want to miss out on lectures/studios/tutorials too much. But since we are all advised to stay isolated at home while we are sick, I decided I didn't want to risk getting my classmates and tutor infected and so I thought I should stay out of class on Friday. :(

--

I am definitely going to uni tomorrow.. And umm don't worry people, I have since recovered from the flu. Can't wait till Monday, which starts in 8.5 hours time!

.when money matters

Yes, it's true that money cannot buy you happiness...

But think about it. Without money, you can't buy stuff that you want, stuff that will make you happy. How are you going to be happy knowing that you cannot own something dear without having the money?

For us, it goes like this.

Without a career, there will not be money.. And without money, we cannot build a future together.

I know I have to let go and accept the truth of going on a long distance relationship, because there is nothing we can do about the sub prime crisis. It's way beyond our control, because it's not even our fault to begin with.

So _pdra, long distance = a great future for you and SF ahead. no long distance = no money, no happiness, no future.

Which one would you choose, _pdra?

My selfishness is jeopardizing a successful long-term relationship and yet, I find it impossible to get rid of that self-centered monster inside me. I guess the reason why I feel forced about this whole situation is because I hate it when something well-planned has to be changed all of a sudden.

I hate to think about how I am going to be living alone from next year, for a few years. How long is a few years? Well, nobody can answer that right now. I wish I had an answer, an answer like, "I will be back in about 2 years time, really really, soon."

Question: Do you think you can still buy happiness without money?

.how to sign up for interim semester - Singapore American School

Video by DaveDaranjo. This was taken at my high school back in 2001, 6 months before I enrolled into the school.

Taking a little bit of a break from photo blogging but don't worry, I will blog again shortly (like in two days time).

I miss interim semester! I can still remember my last interim trip to Japan and it was probably one of the best times of my life. Can't believe I actually graduated 1 semester early just so I could come to Melbourne -- It's not like I wasn't going to be able to move downunder six months later or something. :\

.spring has come

桜

Waking up early in the morning had been quite a challenge for the past couple of months.. And it still is...

Because I live in Melbourne... And Melbourne is generally much colder than any other cities in Australia.

So yesterday morning had been pretty cold, as always, I woke up, got dressed, made myself a lunchbox and and left.

...

When I stepped out of uni at around 1pm, it felt different. "It's freaking hot for a wint.. Oh wait, this is the first week of spring!" I thought. Spring has come. It really has. Majority of the people around me only had a thin sweater on while I was in my ultra-thick winter jacket and beanie. It felt awkward. :\

I think it's time to put those winter stuff away for 9 months.. And endure the bitter wind in the morning for a while.

I don't really like this whole transition from winter to spring because it makes it difficult to decide what to put on in the morning!

What do you think about this seasonal transition? Any advice?

.attack within the inside

Messed up in a good way.

It's happening again.......... Approximately an hour ago, I developed this sudden panic attack and it lasted for about an hour, until I put on my headphone and turned on the iPod...

I'm still feeling a little anxious, but it's getting better. What's happening though? I'm not particularly worried about anything other than my assignments.. And I think I am on track, not falling behind or anything.

Why???????

All I know is that.. I'm scared.

.120km/h

The Rush.

It kind of reminded me of early April last year, when I'd experienced my first ever sandstorm.

Remember that sandstorm in Melbourne last year? Where trees fell, killed a couple of pedestrians and ruined a Porsche Boxster? Well, it was almost like that today.

People were told to leave work an hour and a half early. Trains were packed. I started getting a little worried about how I am going to get off at Melbourne Central Station the train arrived at Southern Cross Station approximately 3.35pm this afternoon. I was wondering to myself, "Does people actually leave work at 3.40pm? I thought 'peak hour' usually begins at 5???"

And then I remember seeing a Twitter post on my phone from Connex, advising people to leave early. I didn't take it seriously when I first read it.. Until a whole crowd of students and working people board the train in the City Loop stations.

"Gah! How am I supposed to get out!?!?!?!?!?!???" I thought, as the train approached Melb Central. "Excuse me. Sorry. 'cuse me. Thanks. Excuse me." ...I nearly couldn't get off the train!!!
So that's how it's like everyday during peak hour... :\

But hey, that's not it. While walking home from the train station, the wind was soooo strong and I had to put on a little more force than usual to walk forwards. I walked along this construction site and got sand in my eye along the way, which made me think that there was going to be another wave of sand storm this year.

...

All's good, don't worry.. For those of you who'd thought I got blown away, no, I got home safely before the storm visited Melbourne CBD. :)

.ya lookin' for me?

Chubby Bunnies.

Aryen and I were in the middle of baking cookies when all of a sudden, she pointed behind me and said, "Hey, they are looking for you."

I was wondering who "they" were.. So I turned around and realize the bunnies were both staring at me from the balcony.. Aww! It seems like they remember me from my last visit (over a month ago). :D

These chubbsters must be wondering why I was hiding behind that big black object (my camera) when I looked at them.. LOL.

.study

Study study study.

Assignments are pouring in like there's no tomorrow...

Pro: This is a great opportunity for me to build up my portfolio.
Con: I'm starting to feel a little sleep deprived.

Sure, these assignments aren't due for another couple of weeks but I'm hoping to finish them at least 1 week before deadline, so that I can start on the other assignments that are due later on, and get a little bit of time off before exam reviews.

I am working hard, but not hard enough to meet my personal deadlines.. I guess I'll have to sacrifice quite a bit of beauty sleep to get there... :\

But umm.. You know, I really want to get out of Melbourne for a bit.. Just for a day. I wanna visit places in Victoria that I have never been.

SF, please take me somewhere.. Far far away from Melbourne.. Just for a day. I beg you.

.the one about waking up early

Doomsday.

I was talking to my dad on the phone the other night and told him all about my schedule for the semester when he asked.

Dad: So what time are your classes normally?
Me: Hmmm sometimes morning, sometimes afternoon.
Dad: Morning? How early??
Me: Like, early. I have to get up 7.30am on Tuesdays.
Dad: (knowing that I don't normally get up before 11am) SO EARLY??? You can get up that early??? *there was a tinge of humor in his voice - I could tell he was grinning*
Me: Haha of course I can, no choice right?

LOLLLL!!!

Anyways, yes, I have been waking up early twice every week. It's not easy to be honest, but knowing that this is the very final time I am a student, I'd have to cherish every moment of the chapter.. And I won't be skipping classes for reasons like "Oh-I'm-so-tired-today" or "I-need-to-finish-up-assignment-for-this-other-unit" like I did back in the undergraduate days...

Hmm.. Does it mean that I've matured a little bit over the past six months? :P

I can never wake up early on most days because it's hard for me to fall asleep before 2.30am every night. I'm nocturnal, I am more motivated to work on stuff during the early hours of the morning when the streets* are quiet and that everyone's off to slumberland. I don't know why, but that's just me... Although I do envy a friend who works better in the morning than any other time of the day.

Waking up early means I get to see the sun rise from my east-facing apartment unit. I guess that means I'll be taking loads of morning photos so don't be surprised to see a bunch of them on Flickr in the next couple of months! ;)

--end.

*I live in the CBD area in Melbourne where traffic is everywhere.

.just passing by...

Just Passing By...

2 stops away from Caulfield Railway Station.

On a random note, I missed the Cranbourne train narrowly this morning... I was wanting to get on a limited express train (usually the Frankston ones)... And ended up causing a drama upon myself.

So I hopped on the train that stops at Flinders Street station and thought I could quickly jump onto another platform to catch my train to uni. The train stopped on platform 7, and I ran towards platform 8 and realize that there are no trains on that platform. So I panicked, ran back to platform 7 (the Cranbourne/Pakenham platform) and there was nothing.

I ran up the escalator to check for the next available train to Caulfield.

The screen reads "Frankston - platform 8". A train has just arrived on platform 8. So, along with a bunch of people catching the same train, I ran back down to Platform 8. People were getting off and getting on the train.. It was a little chaotic. Is it always like this at Flinders Street 8.30 in the morning???

And finally, I got on the train and managed to arrive 10 minutes before studio.

What a way to start the morning.

.my daily journey

Please stand behind the yellow line.

That's me waiting on platform 1 in Caulfield Station the other day.

I am not busy or tired or anything, but I seriously have no idea what I should blog about... So umm.. back to reading!

.our future is all blurred out

Fading...

I am not alright with the fact that you might have to leave me here by myself.. But I know there is nothing we can do if that really happens.. I won't be okay for the first half of the year without you by my side but I know I will get by eventually.

Eventually.. Umm.. When? I am not sure. All I know is that I will pray for you to return to Melbourne really really soon.. And I hope it's not going to be longer than two years.

After all, we are not the only couple that have to live apart.. I take comfort in the fact that a few of my friends are also in a long distance relationship and they are doing well. I should start learning a thing or two from them.

If only things would work out nicely...

Our future is all blurred out.. I don't know what's going to happen in the next few months, but I know that you'll always be the one for me.

.how i started photography

The Sony.

Having started graduate school nearly a fortnight ago gives me the opportunity to take my camera out on a daily basis. I have been making the effort to take my heavy duty DSLR camera out on days when I would catch the train, just so I could start snapping away with the camera when something catches my attention.

Majority of you may not know how I started photography so I thought I'd blog while I'm at it.

It was March 2006 when I decided to go on to Canon Australia's website to look at DSLR cameras. I don't remember what made me interested in a DSLR all of a sudden. I knew nothing about DSLR's back then and the first model I was on the website was the 30D and then I said, "Okay, I might get this one."

Everything I bought depended on portability and size (lighter/smaller the better). SF and I finally dropped JB Hi-Fi along Elizabeth Street two months later. That was the first time I saw the 30D in real life and I immediately thought that it's a little too big for me. A couple of friends recommended the 350D and Nikon D40 so I thought I'd have a look at them too. I decided to go for the 350D because.. uhh.. because it's smaller than the 30D. *sheepish*

Since the 350D doesn't come with the body kit lens (I have no idea why) I had to buy a lens separately. So next day, SF and I went in to Camera House to have a look at lenses. Again, I had no idea what 18-55mm or 70-200mm or 35mm meant.. But I knew I wanted an all-rounder lens, something that I can use for pretty much any occasion... And so it goes on and on, and I left the shop with an ultra-wide lens – the Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM.. The very lens that has been giving me all these amazing HDR results over the past year.

As a noob who knew nothing about photography, I didn't enjoy the Sigma 10-20mm very much... I actually swopped the lens for a body kit (18-55mm) with my brother in January 2007*!

And finally, in May 2007, I got myself a Flickr Pro account. I have been on Flickr since April 2005, when I thought I'd sign up for fun and post up photos of random daily stuff, like food and things. That was when I started taking photography seriously.

In November 2008, I bought my first prime lens, the very affordable and light-weight EF 50mm f/1.8 II. I love that lens and I probably should have bought that for a first lens rather than the 10-20mm.

I took the 10-20mm back to Melbourne with me in February 2008 and started enjoying it heaps – It's a lens that must be taken along for road trips!

In April 2008, I bought my first and only "L" lens – the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. It makes a good all-rounder lens and I have been using it for everything since. Today, I am using it primarily with the full-frame 5D Mark II. For my next "L" lens, I would like an EF 16-35mm, an ultra-wide suitable for the 5D.

I must have taken well over 10,000 photos in 2008 alone and posted 1,900+ on Flickr that year. I am hoping to post well over 2000 shots by end of this year and so far, I've only posted approximately 800 photos in the year 2009 set.

I do have to admit that I am not putting in as much effort with photography as I did last year, due to other commitments, so I guess the only way to continue photography is for me to take the camera everywhere I go and make the effort to take at least 5 photos a day.

--

I shall take the prime lens and 350D with me to uni tomorrow and see what I can come up with. :)

.untitled?

I don't know if I can cope anymore.. And all I know is that I have to give up one of three things for now.

Decisions really do get harder as one gets older.. Haa..

.first day of school

The New Life.

Well actually, first day was alright since it started at 12 noon. My very first postgraduate class was the 2-hour long Website Authoring lecture, which ended .5 hour early. That gave me extra time to grab a couple of sushi before the 4-hour Digital Audio/Video class, which starts 2pm.
Digital Audio/Video ended 2 hours early and that allowed me to head home before dark. Sooo that wasn't so bad. :)

Second day, however, was kind of a tiring start. I had to force myself up at 7.15am.. It's a miracle that I didn't press the snooze button twice. After spending about 3.5 minute with my iPod, I got up, heat up some left over muffins (so I could eat them during the break), made a sandwich and started getting ready to leave the house. That took about 45 minutes... :\

I managed to catch the 8.28am Pakenham train from Melbourne Central Station down and thought I would get to uni 10 minutes before the lecture. But noooooo. The train got stuck twice, once right before Flinders Street Station and the next right before my stop, Caulfield Station. So I was about 5 minutes late. I hate being late and would always try to get to my appointments or destinations a few minutes before.

December marks the end of the Connex Era.. And I hope MTR (the company taking over) will do something to improve Melbourne's train network because I'm pretty sure I will be taking the train at least twice a week for the next 2 years.

Just give me some time to get used to waking up early three times a week for classes alright? I'm glad there aren't any labs tomorrow so I am going to sleep in for a bit before getting back to everyone. I think I'm going to try and stay away from the internet tonight, get my storyboarding done (due following Monday) and sleep early.

L8r guys. Thanks for reading... And don't be shy to comment... I love getting comments, good or bad. So speak now or forever hold your piece.

.i'm not a huge fan of pink stuff...

Pocky.

But there are exceptions. :) I like Pocky - especially the strawberry flavored ones. And I am sure you do too, or will if you haven't already tried one.

So for those of you who haven't, what are you waiting for? Go get some!!! It's easily available in most Asian countries.. As for the others, I'm sure you can find them in major oriental supermarkets.

Mmmm.. x)


Today's July 14th and it also happens to be one of my cousins birthday.. So.. Happy Birthday Yuki!!!

.walk for harmony

Walk for harmony on Swanston Street.

As you all should know by now, Melbourne has been labeled as the world's swine flu capital. Yep it's true, we are currently known for having one of the world's highest number of swine flu cases.

:D

Despite the fact that swine flu spreads rapidly as it has been for the past 3 months, Melburnians have all made an effort to get together at Carlton Garden for the parade down to Federation Square. SF and I were one of them (although we joined in at corner La Trobe and Swanston Streets).

I am aware that racism exist everywhere in this world, even in a multicultural community such as Australia. It is sad, and unfortunately, it is true. :\ And racism should never be tolerated anywhere. Walk for Harmony has been organized to show that we appreciate and support having a multicultural society in Melbourne.

It was great seeing so many people participate in the parade. It has also made me appreciate being here in Melbourne more than before.

.postgraduate

A New Chapter.

The best job ever. :)

Went down to uni for enrolment this morning and met the course coordinator, who was shocked to hear that I've done multimedia design before.. It seems like this (Master of Multimedia Design) course is designated for students with any undergraduate backgrounds. :\

I suppose I can still make use of the next couple of years to improve my multimedia skills, there will always be room to improve and we will always be learning.

This semester, I am enrolled in four units and I attend classes Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Not too bad I reckon! I will probably drive Tuesdays and Fridays since classes only last 2-3 hours on each of those days. And I'll only have to get up at 7.30am (brrrrrr...寒い！！！) on one of the three days of uni.. Not bad at all!

-------

I realize that it has been a while since I wrote up a proper post... Will make it up soon!

.help her!

I know it's a nice banner (and no, it's not designed by me)..

But umm, okay here's what I wanna say........

Actually, I'm not that good with words.. But all I wanna say is that this will only take up a couple of minutes of your time.. Let's all help this little girl fight cancer! Hurry! They've got less than a month to raise the total amount of $350,000 (US dollars).

Click here for the link if you can't see the image above.. Like I said, I am not good with explaining so please read the blog to understand the situation.

.be suspicious when...like...

Arrival of the Bad.

Do you ever get that?

Like.. Umm.. How do I explain this..

Well, like for example, after a horrible period of time you would have a whole 2 weeks of, let's call it "the lucky fortnight".. And then all of a sudden, things start falling apart and you become unlucky all over again.. And then things start looking good again after a couple of weeks, and fall again, and so on.

You get what I mean so far? If you don't, well.. Never mind, don't worry about it.

.....

I think everyone gets that though.. So the majority of you would know what I'm talking about.

Uh.. In case you were wondering, I was kind of indirectly talking about something that has been bugging me for a while..

Remember when I wrote the entry .going LD back in April? THAT IS what's bugging me at the moment.

That's what happens when you are second class citizen I suppose.. But I reckon we like it here better than Singapore...

We need miracles!!!

-----

On a random note, I don't talk to my relatives much, especially those from the paternal side (with the exception of cousin Z)...

But I would like to wish my 8-year-younger-than-me nephew, J, a Happy Birthday.

.more about swine flu

Saturday.

Nobody here in Melbourne seem to give a damn about the swine flu (H1N1) much, even though the city has been branded the Swine Flu Capital of the World.

I do know a handful of people who have over-reacted.. In fact, one of them have even chided me for not taking this seriously (you know who you are) and later came to realize that the swine flu is pretty similar to that of a common flu. (-_-' )

This would be the time of the year when I am about to take off for Singapore (+ Malaysia) to visit my family. I won't be heading back until end of year (hopefully) since 1. I will have to quarantine myself for a week, and that means missing out on favorite local delicacies outside for 7 days.. And 2. I am still on bridging visa (waiting to see if I become Australian PR) and so I am not allowed to leave Australia without special permission.

(._. )

(*-* )

Our normal routine remains, whether there is swine flu or not. And for God's sake, put away those masks! You'll make me think that you are the one with swine flu instead!

.we heart campbell

Campbell's soups are the best!

One of us likes chicken soup.. And the other likes mushroom soup. I reckon this happens to a lot of other couples or family members a lot and so Campbell has decided to come up with a combination of both - Cream of Chicken and Mushroom soup.

I don't know how healthy this is (probably not as healthy since it's canned soup) but it's so good that we could eat 2 - 3 cans in 1.5 week. Umm.. Okay, is that a little too much?

Oh and just so you know, this soup goes really well with garlic bread. :)

.100

100 tea bags

SF and I went grocery shopping at Woolworths the other day to stock up for our very empty cupboard and fridge.

And.. Well, everyone knows that I can't live without tea, and I drink tea almost everyday. So I had to stock up on my all time favorite Dilmah Ceylon tea and headed over to the tea section.

There are packets of 50, 100 or 200 tea bags. I was going to grab the pack of 50 and thought I'd check out the price of 100 tea bags.

50 tea bags – $2.99
100 tea bags – $2.99

"Huh??? They are the same price??? Really!!???!?" I thought.

So I dragged SF over and asked him to double check for me, because I simply couldn't believe my eyes. I think the boy got a shock too but didn't show it. He merely said, "Just grab the pack of 100, if you want?"

And that's how I ended up with this huge packet of Ceylon tea. And I'm sure we'll use up the tea bags before we know it. :D

.gone for a good reason

Unboxing the Sims III.

It has been a week and a half since my last update. I hope everyone's doing great as we speak. :)

Soooooo... I guess I will do a bit of explaining about my recent close-to-10-days disappearance. But umm, the photo have probably explained it well for me.

Heehee! Yes, I have been addicted to the Sims 3 for the past.. week and a half! It's such a great game, in fact, it's my all time favorite! :P

I've played the Sims 1 for a little bit shortly before buying Sims 2, which was a whole lot better. And I have been playing them since.

And now, it's Sims 3. The build/buy mode fulfills the architecture part of me and the Sims that I have created would achieve dreams that I can never have in real life. ;)

------

And now, I shall do a little bit of catching up with Flickr and some other internet chores before going back to the game.