jan .

the celebrity experience

2011-11-12T22:50:00.021+11:00

Okay, for 'effect', play this video and read on! It's such a lovely song :-)

Never did Lillian and I imagine that we would see even a single celeb here in the US. Much to our surprise, they were everywhere! This, we must really thank God for the opportunities because most times we were just at the right place at the right time! Here are some of the celebs we saw:

Daniel Radcliffe and John Laroquette (Boston Legal) in the musical, 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'. We took a risk by buying the tickets as we weren't guaranteed of Harry Potter's appearance. Our gamble paid off when he appeared in the opening scene of the musical! He looked...so...normal! I had never been a big fan of his, but I must say that he can sing and dance just fine! A very funny musical comedy indeed! Highly recommended.

Right after Daniel's musical, we walked down Broadway towards Times Square. Lo and behold! A crowd had gathered around a car right outside another Broadway venue. It was Bernadette Peters, legendary Broadway star who has been nominated for several Emmys, Tonys and Grammys before. I must admit I was struggling to identify her but she looked too familiar! It wasn't until I asked a passerby that I found out who she was.

Moving on to the US Open tennis finals few days later, we saw the likes of American Lisa Raymond at the Women's Doubles finals, and of course, good ol' Serena Williams (with whom, together with Venus, I have had a hate-hate relationship with since I was 12) and Aussie Sam Stosur at the Women's Singles Finals! We were plain stoked, it was a bonus to see an Aussie go on to win the Open, it's been too long! At the circus also were Alec Baldwin, Bradley Cooper and Will Ferrell...we had to squint our eyes to actually spot them though. A big surprise with Queen Latifah's guest appearance to sing the National Anthem, as it was 9/11 that day. Apparently, Vanessa Williams was there too! Love her on Ugly Betty!

Now, on to a slightly different sort of celebritydom. We saw the culinary genius at work in WD50, the very man himself, Wylie Dufresne (pronounced 'doo-fraine'). An up and coming eatery, WD50 is one of the top restaurants in the world. Granted, he's no eye candy, but boy does he cook some mean dishes!

On the same note, we also saw Iron Chef Morimoto in his kitchen and socializing with guests at his New York Morimoto restaurant. I was quite star-struck! I actually asked a waiter to ask the Man if I could take a picture with him. But Chef M was too busy chatting with guests :-( I should've just gone up to him myself!

Now, this has got to be one of the highlights of our trip. While walking around one of the smaller alleys near Times Square, we suddenly came across a huge crowd at a gate. Being the busybody, no, I mean, inquisitive person that I was, I hurried over to see what the fuss was all about! I had an inkling that someone famous must've been there. My suspicion was confirmed when a fellow passerby informed me that they were in the middle of filming the sequel to the hit movie 'Valentine's Day': New Year's Eve. Guess who was there?! Hilary Swank and Josh Duhamel! We stood there for quite some time (this was late Friday night). They must've shot the same scene at least 15 times! No wonder they get paid the big bucks. After the scene had been shot, Hilary came over to us to sign some autographs! She seemed to genuine and nice :-)

Of course, the night didn't end there! This was afterall, NEW YORK, NEW YORK! After the crowd had dispersed, I took the opportunity to ask a crew member where they were going next. We were directed to the other side of the building. And so we went. The alley we traversed was quiet BUT Lillian spotted a tall guy in a tux with a companion who could only be a bodyguard. Could it be? Was it Josh Duhamel? He was actually walking to the other side of the building? Not in a fancy limo? WOW. This is it! This is our chance! So I ran up to him and asked if we could take a picture with him! Now, let me make clear that I had never been a fan of his. I mean, I don't really fancy Hollywood celebs. But, BUT he was a TOTAL HOTTIE! He was all dressed up for filming and looked absolutely gorgeous. I totally did not expect myself to squeal like a teenage girl in front of him. Yes, but I did. Embarrassing! He was kind and put his arms around Lillian and myself to take a picture! OMG. Just in case you didn't know, Josh Duhamel's the guy in Transformers, Life as We Know It, and Black Eyed Peas' Fergie's husband).

Still pumped with adrenaline, we headed to the next filming scene. A big group of people had gathered nearby. When a crew member invited them to 'come on in', I told Lillian that perhaps the film crew was inviting everyone in! Both of us quickly scurried behind the group of people and entered the film set! Both of us, Asian girls with fancy cameras and all, were busy marvelling at the film set and taking pictures as fast as we could! We couldn't believe it! We were IN A HOLLYWOOD FILM SET! But then! Suddenly a man spotted us and shoo-ed us out :-( At first I thought he was just being a plain racist, but of course, we had actually trespassed as that 'group' of people were actually extras! It then became so clear because they were all wearing winter clothing, when it was actually summer then!!

All in all, Lillian and I were very, very thankful to God for all the opportunities and fun we had in this trip. Along the way, we met a pair of Texan ladies who were on a 'trip of a lifetime' as they were going to New York Fashion Week shows, eating good food, shopping etc. Apparently they had known each other for 40 years I think. They live far apart from one another but still made it a point to keep in touch year after year. They saw themselves in us, and advised us to always keep in touch and cherish friendships like ours. It was a great time travelling with one another, eating, experiencing and seeing so much! Praise God for everything!

Here to you, Lil!

the celeb experience

2011-11-12T22:50:00.016+11:00

Okay, for 'effect', play this video and read on! It's such a lovely song :-)

d Grammys before. I must admit I was struggling to identify her but she looked too familiar! It wasn't until I asked a passerby that I found out who she was.

ie Sam Stosur at the Women's Singles Finals! We were plain stoked, it was a bonus to see an Aussie go on to win the Open, it's been too long! At the circus also were Alec Baldwin, Bradley Cooper and Will Ferrell...we had to squint our eyes to actually spot them though. A big surprise with Queen Latifah's guest appearance to sing the National Anthem, as it was 9/11 that day. Apparently, Vanessa Williams was there too! Love her on Ugly Betty!

Of course, the night didn't end there! This was afterall, NEW YORK, NEW YORK! After the crowd had dispersed, I took the opportunity to ask a crew member where they were going next. We were directed to the other side of the building. And so we went. The alley were traversed was quiet BUT Lillian spotted a tall guy in a tux with a companion who could only be a bodyguard. Could it be? Was it Josh Duhamel? He was actually walking to the other side of the building? Not in a fancy limo? WOW. This is it! This is our chance! So I ran up to him and asked if we could take a picture with him! Now, let me make clear that I had never been a fan of his. I mean, I don't really fancy Hollywood celebs. But, BUT he was a TOTAL HOTTIE! He was all dressed up for filming and looked absolutely gorgeous. I totally did not expect myself to squeal like a teenage girl in front of him. Yes, but I did. Embarrassing! He was kind and put his arms around Lillian and myself to take a picture! OMG. Just in case you didn't know, Josh Duhamel's the guy in Transformers, Life as We Know It, and Black Eyed Peas' Fergie's husband).

Here to you, Lil!

a million bajillion photos from the US of A!

2011-10-30T23:34:00.005+11:00

As Austin Powers would demand, here's a million bajillion photos from the US trip! Enjoy! I do apologise for the lack of captions, as I have only done them for the Facebook ones. I will endeavour to blog about highlights in good timing. Moving house isn't easy!

Los Angeles!

Washington D.C.

New York!

Boston!

the per se experience

2011-10-26T21:12:00.011+11:00

I first heard of Thomas Keller from Australia’s Master Chef TV series. I wasn’t one who was familiar with the powerhouses of the culinary world however the recent trip to New York opened my eyes and palette to the wonderful world of gastronomy! With the very timely purchase of Chef Keller’s French Laundry and Ad Hoc at Home cook books, I was even more determined to taste his legendary cuisine. Naturally, Lillian and myself jumped at the chance of anything Keller-related when we were in the US. We went to Bouchon in Beverly Hills, Bouchon Bakery at the Rockefeller Centre (where I chatted with Chef Keller’s ex-brother-in-law! :-p) and last but not least, Per Se in NYC, rated the 10^th best restaurant in the world by the mother of all lists, the ‘S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants’.

There was much anticipation and anxiety building up to our visit to the ‘Best Restaurant in New York’ (as rated by New York Times few years ago). ‘What to wear? What to say? What to eat? How to eat?’ all flooded our minds even before we stepped foot into the establishment. Located in the Time Warner Centre, this discretely placed restaurant was hard to find as its facade was only but a blue set of doors! No sign, well, no need for any signs for such a reputable restaurant. The famous $295 degustation menu was certainly out of our budget however during the recent GFC, Chef Keller made it accessible to the wider public by introducing a ‘lounge menu’ whereby smaller serves of food are served at more ‘reasonable’ prices.

It was a Friday morning, 10.30am, we made sure we went really early to make sure that we had a spot. Upon arrival, a troupe of businessmen in black suits was already crowding the front of the restaurant! This added even more to our nervousness! But no worries, we were ready to take on Per Se! All our fear and anxiety quickly melted away when we stepped foot into the restaurant when the staff greeted us with warmth and respect. We felt at home! Not to mention, the waiting staff were pleasing to the eye as well!

We were brought into the elegant lounge, seated by the window on the 4th floor of the Time Warner building that overlooked Columbus Circle. The sun was shining and all was good. It was all coming true! Per Se! We placed our order for a Mains and Desserts and waited.

Much to our surprise, (which we found out was standard procedure) we were given some complimentary signature amuse bouche (fancy speak for tiny food!) which were gruyere cheese gougeres and salmon cornets (a variation of which Justin tried making, see here). Okay I must say, the Malaysian in me was delighted as we were receiving free stuff! Being a great lover of anything tartare style, I LOVED THE SALMON CORNETS! By the way, the salmon was from New Zealand! Our part of the world!

This was followed by their famous bread basket which consisted of pretzel and baguettes. Those were the best soft pretzels I had ever eaten! The butter served was from a company in Vermont called Animal Farm which almost exclusively makes butter for Chef Keller’s restaurants. There are only 6 cows on this farm which is located in Orwell (geddit now?! Orwell...Animal Farm..!). The butter was, yes, very special, tasted unlike any other butter I had before.

Then at last, our mains came. I had my ‘Sauteed fillet of atlantic halibut (Charred Eggplant mayonnaise, summer squash, toasted pine nuts, garden mint)’ which was absolutely delightful. And yes, having paid a hefty amount for a tiny dish of food drove me to eat my vegetables. I’m not going to pretend to know how to explain what I ate, but boy, was it YUM! Very refreshing dish.

We had two desserts: Firstly a plate of 4 flavours of sorbet – black currant, greek yoghurt and 2 other flavours which I can’t recall (kicking myself for not writing down!). The second plate was a mixture of chocolate and orange delicacies which was exquisite.

The meal wasn’t over yet, complimentary hand made sweets and chocolates were served on a 2-tiered silver platter: raspberry nougat, milk chocolate truffles, white chocolate, red jus sugared candy etc. To cap it off, they presented us with two little bags of butter cookies ‘to remember us by’. Wow, what an experience right?! We had such a lovely time. The food, ambience, staff, were all top notch and together gave us a very special and memorable culinary experience.

cake!

2011-08-28T23:20:00.003+10:00

I recently bought a copy of Gourmet Traveller. The September issue features a list of the best restaurants in Australia. There is a special column in this magazine which regularly features recipes from famous eateries. In particular is 'Myer Lemon and Olive Oil Cake' from Hobart's 'Pigeon Hole Cafe'. The recipe looked pretty simple, so I decided to give it a go! Turned out nice and warm :-)

sick - at - home - day

2011-08-25T15:40:00.007+10:00

Obviously I couldn't sit still at home all day on my butt. I could easily do that at the office! Truth be told, my bum has been hurting from sitting too much at work!

Thought I might make some nice pumpkin soup with parmesan crips. Besides, I know a lot of sick friends today who could also use a little bowl of hot soup. Embarrassingly though, the recipe was off a Continental Stock Pot ad in the MasterChef magazine. Shhh.....

I also tried making salt and pepper flavoured chocolate, as inspired by RiChocolate at Seppeltsfield Winery in the Barossa Valley. Unsurprisingly, mine didn't taste as magical as the one from RiChocolate :-(

Yummy parmesan crisps with chilli flakes!

party all week long!

2011-08-22T22:42:00.023+10:00

Had a great birthday week! Yes week! Thanks to wonderful and dear friends. Pictures speak a thousand words so here are some!

Wacky friends to celebrate with!

Lovely deco all the way from Perth! Okay, I stole this picture off Justin's blog.

Crazy-ass baking friends!

Out-of-this-world surprise package from Lillian! Pressies for mum, Mel and Janene too! How thoughtful of Lil...Brilliant package, it was like Christmas all over again.

Lovely travel diary and purse from very thoughtful friends!

Like I said, crazy-ass baking friends!

Friends who surprised me at home, and boy was I surprised! I screamed and climbed onto Justin when they switched off the lights!

Wait, did I mention crazy-ass baking friends?

Another nice birthday dinner! These friends gave me some handy moolah for the upcoming trip!

Capped off by dinner at Lenzerheide, the best steak I ever ate!

Ah, twas a wonderful week...thank God for friends like these!

justin's food blog!

2011-08-09T23:04:00.002+10:00

Finally! He's been working so hard at it!

http://akitchenforfriends.wordpress.com/

a very special birthday

2011-08-09T19:52:00.004+10:00

This is the one week when both Justin and myself are of the same age! The one time of the year when I am not a cougar, for want of a better word! Both of us celebrate our birthdays exactly a week apart, which is pretty convenient in terms of party planning. Last year, Kristin and myself had a smashing party, which I thought was hard to beat. This year though, it was very special in a different way. It is our first time celebrating this special day together with a group of special people. The word 'special' is being used unsparingly because that is just what it is! Special!

It all began one night when we were dining at the elegant Jolleys Boathouse by the River Torrens. While we were waiting for our meal, he popped the question, 'Janice...do you want to celebrate our birthdays together this year?'. I just nodded 'Yes! Of course!'. Haha. Got you there didn't I? No, no marriage proposal (way too early!) but something good nonetheless.

It was apparent very early on that both of us had intended this to be a very small but special affair. Justin, in particular, was interested in cooking for this party hence we could only cater for a small group of people (unfortunately). As my culinary skills do not go beyond the activity of eating, I was charged with the decoration of my home. With help and inspiration from the internet and Lillian (all the way from Perth!), we managed to liven up the place for under $15 in total! All this in line with my principle of doing things for a low cost but at the same time not compromising elegance. Well, maybe we did compromise our integrity a little: we stole flowers from the side of the road at 1am in the morning! It was quite funny how Justin chauffeured me around inconspicuously, shining his headlamps on flower bushes whilst I would run out in my PJ's and a pair of scissors! Hopefully the City Council will never find out.

Earlier I mentioned Lillian who helped out in the decor. She sent us a lovely box of yellow-themed decoration all the way from Perth! It was her way of 'being there' at the party. It was as though she had read my mind because all her gifts were what I had in mind!

The food prepared by Justin was no mean feat. It had been weeks in the making. My posting here would do him no justice. Feel free to read about his journey in his new food blog, here! Also deserving a special mention is Kristen who made us an out-of-this-world Snickers-inspired birthday cake! It was beyond 'yum'. It was unbelievable. Much thanks to Melissa who made us drinks, yummy snacks and personalised cookies! Also to dear Debra who was our photographer for the day.

Mostly, all glory to God for the beautiful weather because it was forecast to rain. The sun was shining brightly that day. And all was beautiful: food and friendship!

stop this train

2011-07-02T02:33:00.006+10:00

I am 25. Well, almost.

Warning: quarterlife crisis rant coming right up!

I remember the days when I had seemingly impossible dreams. I held on to them so tightly that I actually believed in them. Nothing wrong there. Just like so many other feisty young girls, I believed that I could bring change to the world. Be a superhero, for want of a better word. I knew that if I worked hard enough at it, I would be whatever I wanted to be.

I wanted to be extraordinary!

Fast forward 10 years.

I'm now a mechanical engineer. So well, I did sort of achieve my dream, just not in Formula 1 racing! The point is, I'm now so comfortable in my own life. I even long for the day when I settle down and have children of my own to raise. Noooooo! I want what so many others want! Will I be just another soul amongst the multitude? Trouble is, I was never the type who'd settle for the norm. Gah! What have I turned into? I love children with the fiercest of passion, but, what about saving the world? Am I ready to just be 'one of them'?

Hmm, wasting time worrying about 'my purpose in life' is perhaps the folly of youth. We tend to waste so much time worrying, that we're not living enough! I recently came to realize that I simply love being around elderly people. There's so much more grace and wisdom in their speech and action. I think I can learn a lot from them, being so seasoned and having weathered many a storm.

I think John Mayer's 'Stop This Train' song perfectly summarizes it all: Sometimes all you want is for life to stop in its track and turn back time. I guess the best thing is just to live now and never look back.

Victor's Wedding

2011-06-27T22:45:00.006+10:00

Some weeks ago, a dear old friend from uni took the dive. Way ahead of all of us! It was a spectacular wedding, beautifully organised at Silvestri's. (A girl could only dream huh?) Nevertheless, we were all really happy for him! Speaking of weddings, another two friends are tying the knot, one of whose wedding Justin and I will be singing at. The second wedding will be in KL in January, which means HOME TIME for Chinese New Year! It's been such a long time since I've been home for CNY. Can't wait! Before long, I'll be attending baby showers! :-)

They made uni bearable :-)

Rogaining

2011-06-20T21:06:00.002+10:00

Recently, a group of 10 of us participated in a Rogaining Challenge held by the Asthma Foundation of South Australia. It's a bit like orienteering but you can determine your own route. It was a 6-hour event, traversing through Parra Wirra Recreation Park. By the end of the day, we were knackered but I enjoyed every bit of it! Please have a look at our fund-raising page here if you'd like to donate to a worthy cause.

Feast: Where Korea Meets Japan

2011-06-12T23:27:00.005+10:00

A bunch of us celebrated the long weekend (Queen's Birthday) by cooking up another storm! This time, again fuelled by Adam Liaw's 'Two Asian Kitchens' recipes: Oyakodon (Duck Parent and Child) and Bul Dak (Korean fire chicken). I jumped on the bandwagon by making Sataa Andagi (Okinawa doughnuts) served with vanilla ice-cream and red bean paste :-) Everything was SO yummy! Better still was the company :-)

awesome is when...

2011-06-02T23:28:00.006+10:00

...I am in Daiso 100 yen shop. Seeing an LED ear cleaner makes me feel right at home at the weird and wonderful!

...Venus the beautiful labrador guide dog-in-training sniffs around during singing class!

...the good people at the Melbourne US Consulate grants you your travel visa!

...you get to try the other unusual Lindt Lindor ball flavours, and have someone to share it with!

...you finally find the alice band you've been looking everywhere for. For HALF the price! Found it on sale in Melbourne!

...you get grape fruits from the singing school pianist's garden!

What's more awesome? That they all happened in the past two days!

Praise the Lord!

cooking up a storm!

2011-05-24T00:33:00.006+10:00

Well, not me. Justin made an awesome feast for Wei Jin's 24th birthday today! He spent 2 hours just 'turning' the carrots and parsnips! Spent another 4 hours cooking the rest of the dishes for 11 people. The end-result, needless to say was AWESOME! Here's a few pictures to whet your appetite!

Over the recent weekend, Kristen suddenly had a huge craving for Malaysian food. Justin (again!) made Ipoh Sar Hor Fun and french toast for us girls! Yes, spoilt, we know!

some kind of terror

2011-05-16T23:03:00.002+10:00

The co-incidence! These pictures were taken almost a year apart, with no orchestration at all (well, except for mum's picture). Obviously, Justin did this on his own accord! :-p On the left is mum, and on the right is Justin. Needless to say, I get ample entertainment from both of them all the time!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T23:59:00.006+10:00

Dear Mummy,

Happy Mother's Day! Sorry I didn't send you a card because I was too much of a lazy bum (and a cheapskate too). So here's a blog post for you (because I know you're one of my very few faithful followers!). You have been a real blessing in my life and I thank you for all the sacrifices you have made for me!

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat!

2011-05-06T23:38:00.002+10:00

I went to my first community musical production tonight! Was quite amazed at what amateur musicians could come up with. Although the execution was not necessarily all perfect, but you could see that every person in the production did it out of passion. Sometimes that's all that matters. I guess this sort of revived my secret (or not-so-secret) dream of performing in a musical. This dream took a back seat, with work and play taking up most of my time of late. Hmm, perhaps it's time to revisit this dream of mine?

Speaking of dreams, back in 2009, I had this grand plan of visiting Hong Kong in 2009, Tokyo in 2010 (Shanghai/Singapore in 2010 was a nice surprise), New York in 2011 and Europe in 2012. Looking at this long list, one might assume that I have a money tree, haha. But not really, I've always felt that once (if ever!) I 'settle down', mortgages and children's school fees would take over. So why not go crazy and travel now? Besides, you'll never know what tomorrow brings. But I digress. So yes, I've stuck to the plan so far. Tickets for New York (Los Angeles, to be exact) were booked today! I have three days to think it over and pay. Pretty psyched as it was a great deal! Am really taking a gamble here as I do not have my US visa yet! But ah, the folly of youth....

Easter Monday Feast!

2011-04-29T23:19:00.007+10:00

Here in Australia we recently had a 5-day weekend. Having recently acquired a new enjoyment for cooking, a few of us decided to cook up a storm on a relatively low budget. The night at home turned out to be a great one, enjoying the company of friends and good food. And of course, with deep gratitude and thankfulness to Him who provides for all our needs. Forget not His goodness and faithfulness in all things!

Prawns in Somen Dresses with Ponzu Sauce (Janice)

Squid ink linguine with prawn paste (Janice)

Prawn with minced meat wanton (Bryan)

Gravlax (salmon cured with dill) and french mustard sauce (Janice)

Beer-battered chips tossed with rosemary and sea salt, with aioli dip

Green tea macaroons (Kristen)

Hainanese chicken rice balls - nigiri style! (Justin)

Vanilla pudding, salted caramel and choclate verrines (Kristen)

Home-made green curry with seafood balls (Bryan)

FEAST!

Gold Coast / Brisbane / The Script!!

2011-04-19T00:29:00.006+10:00

Justin and I recently made a quick trip to Brisbane to watch The Script live. Since we were there already, we made a trip to the Gold Coast with my family which was a lot of fun! Especially loved our night-time Cranium show down where there were tears and stomach cramps from too much laughter! I think Dave (my brother-in-law) is now the official 'humdinger'! Haha.

Spent some time at Dreamworld and White Water World (most times Justin was on some ride whilst I was waiting at souvenir shops!). I would develop muscle cramps whenever I went on a ride!

In Brisbane, we went to The Script's concert along with my cousin and her husband. The band was AMAZING live. We had so much fun jumping and screaming our lungs out. By the end of the night we were exhausted and had lost our voices!

It was also a special time as we got to spend time with our families and I believe that God had arranged for this trip so that we could do just that!

cooking!

2011-04-16T23:09:00.005+10:00

I've never ever liked cooking. I've never really liked food as well. I had always prided myself for not being able to cook (as odd as it may sound). However, I think being surrounded by SO many friends and family who have a passion for cooking sort of rubbed of on me. I guess I recently found the joy of cooking and cooking for others. It really does feel good that you're able to save a lot and still eat really nice food! Yesterday we had Japanese for dinner: Udon in dashi stock soup and agedashi tofu. And being recently inspired by my cousin's Pasta Nero (Squid ink linguine) and prawn paste, we had this for lunch today! I must admit it's a lot of fun cooking up something so DELICIOUS-FYING!

Congratulations Justin :-)

2011-04-07T20:29:00.004+10:00

Baby Girl Pillow Case Dress

2011-03-19T23:23:00.008+11:00

I love babies. I love polka dots, laces and pastels. Voila!

Made it for a beautiful little baby girl who is 5 months old :-)

Babies are heaven-sent...those little darlings!

TWO NEW YOUTUBE VIDS!

2011-03-14T22:10:00.002+11:00

Summer Holidays 2010

2011-01-28T23:33:00.001+11:00

Josh!

2010-11-20T23:44:00.003+11:00

As I would have madly declared on Facebook the past week, Josh Groban recently released his new album, 'Illuminations'. The songs in this album are simply beautiful. I think the Josh I fell in love with is back. The previous album 'Awake' was probably his mid-life crisis where he was probably tinkering with different sounds, trying to establish his own 'sound'. I'm glad the old Josh has returned. One of the many fantastic songs in 'Illuminations' is 'Galileo'. The lyrics give me goosebumps. I imagine an old Irish romantic serenading the girl of his dreams with this song :-) Mix rainbows and stars in a tune and wham! You get a good ol' love song!

Galileo fell in love
As a Galilean would
And he wondered what in Heaven,
Who invented such a joy?

But the question got the better of his scientific mind
And to his blind and dying days he looked up high and often sighed
And sometimes cried:

Who puts the rainbow in the sky?
Who lights the stars at night?
Who dreamt up someone so divine,
Someone like you and made them mine?

Love can make you ask some funny questions now and then
But just remember the alternatives
For I remember when I was lonely,
And unhappy and my lips were cold as ice
But you kissed me and good Heavens,
Now I'm here in paradise

So if I'm ever not kissing you or looking in your eyes
I won't be blind and I won't cry
I'll look up high and gladly sigh

And thank the guy
Who puts the rainbow in the sky
Who lights the stars at night
Who dreamt up someone so divine,
Someone like you and made them mine
Someone like you and made them mine

this recent fri/weekend I saw...

2010-10-18T22:29:00.004+11:00

Lots!

Went to Perth for the day (for work)!

Had some time so I went to the city while waiting for my flight home. This is London Court off Hay St mall in the city.

Near the city mall

*Gasp*! A real-life Apple Shop!

The beautiful landscapes of Hallett Cove

Okay this was last weekend at Deb G's birthday at Rymill Park. Little ducklings!

Rymill park boat rides :-p Ahem.

The serene lake at Rymill (this is just 5 minutes' walk from home!)

I love Adelaide.

our new videos!

2010-10-10T00:05:00.002+11:00

From dinner @ A Walk to Remember 8.10.10

the long labour day weekend

2010-10-07T21:06:00.004+11:00

I'm peeved. I just dutifully did my taxes and found out that I owe the goverment $1500! Now I understand why people get to riled up when it comes to taxes. The glass-half-full view would be 'At least I have money to be taxed'.

The last long weekend was great. Despite not having planned much, the weather had momentarily taken a turn for the better. We had 20-something deg C for the entire weekend! It felt great not having to hide under jackets or coats! It felt even better having the sun on your skin! Ahhh. We also went fishing but I didn't really take pictures. Didn't catch anything. Double sigh.

Just some pictures from my mobile phone to share! Enjoy!

Sunset over Glenelg Beach

Proud of our gem finds at Gilles St Market!

Absolutely in love with these Potato Spirals. Chilli and original flavours are the best!

Some Japanese pork belly ball. Nice.

Macaroons! At Gilles St Market

Live DJ at Gilles St. I like his gear.

Mt Lofty Botanical Gardens

2010-10-02T22:24:00.006+10:00

It's the long weekend! I can't believe Monday's a public holiday and I haven't planned much for it. It's really unlike me. In the past 1.5 years, I always made sure I had some grand plan for any long weekend. I think in the past couple of weeks, I had been so busy that I never gave it any thought. I must admit it is pretty refreshing not to have any plans and just 'go with the flow'.

Today, mum, Kristen, Bryan and myself went to the Mt Lofty Botanical Gardens. It was beautiful to see in all its spring splendour! I hope you'll enjoy some of the pictures we took. Kristen and I had fun making them. Forgive me if I'm in many of these pictures. No, it's not a sudden bout of narcissism!

AHHH! VEGIES!

Kristen looking super emo. Oooo where's my Japanese prince?

Lily pads in a pond. Well, at least that's what I think they are.

Again super poser.

Kristen looking so pretty!

No fair! Kristen looks nice in every picture!

Trying to sit pretty.

Blessed to have a friend like you :-)

One with nature. Literally.

Some flower :-p

evening in paris

2010-09-30T21:50:00.004+10:00

My housemate (Kristin) and I turned a year older about a month-and-a-half ago. Though, looking back, it seemed like ages ago when we had that fantastic celebration! We really owed it to our friends who played along by dressing to the nines, making fantastic gourmet food (salmon, caviar, macaroons, desserts etc) and bringing along with them lots of FUN! I had never thrown myself a birthday party before but this year, since Kristin had her big day a week after mine, we decided to throw a little party just to have an excuse to dress up! All the decor was our other housemate's (Janene) brainchild. The whimsical photo booth was Cheryl's idea, Arthur did a great job hosting (laughed our socks off!), played crazy (albeit clean!) games, we had some performances, a little fashion show, the list just goes on and on! Yoshi and Kazu had been practising baking their delectable macaroons in the weeks leading up to the party. Also had the beautiful birthday cake from Muratti! I'm eternally grateful to all our friends who pulled off a great one! Truly it was a night to remember. Here are some pictures, credit goes to Deb G, Kazu and Cheryl who took pictures all night long so that Kristin and I could enjoy ourselves! So blessed to be surrounded by great brothers and sisters.

Kristin and myself, playing some games. With our cake!

The message board Janene dreamed up and made for us!

The perfect food for the perfect night!

Cheryl's Parisian photobooth

Thanks everyone for the wonderful night!

memories...

2010-09-28T22:57:00.003+10:00

Was just browsing through old pictures when I came across these ones. Almost exactly a year ago we (Mel and Lil) went on a road trip to Mt Gambier. This is one of those pictures which you'd want to show your kids and grandkids, saying 'See how grandma enjoyed life when she was younger?'.

It is FINISHED!

2010-09-22T22:07:00.003+10:00

Just flew home to Adelaide from Whyalla. I've been spending most of my weekdays there for the past 1.5 months (to oversee the installation of this machine). I don't normally blog about work but what just happened definitely warrants a post here! For the past 15 months, I had been working on installing a compressor in our Port Bonython plant (pictured below). Today, we finally commissioned this compressor (i.e. press the 'on' button). I've been very blessed to have so many people help out (at the office and on site). They have been nothing but encouraging and supportive. I learnt so much in the past year or so. Sometimes it was bumpy and sometimes I felt like it was the worst day of my infant career, sometimes I wanted the floor to swallow me up. But through it all, I learned repeatedly that He is in control of everything. Even the smallest things I surrendered to God, and He was there to help me. Praise be to God. He is ever faithful.

monday blues

2010-09-19T23:34:00.004+10:00

Thank God for work friends who care for us during those nasty Monday morning blues!

We also got to play around with an Infrared Camera (trial unit) at work! I must say I look pretty hot in this picture! :-p

the weekend came and went. too soon.

2010-09-13T00:28:00.002+10:00

Tomorrow's Monday. The weekend will soon be but a distance memory. I'd like to think I had a great weekend though!

Malaysian Carnival at Victoria Square had lots of yummy Malaysian food, plus we got to take a photo with Poh from Masterchef!

Bade farewell to the Rodda family, I will especially miss little James!

Went to the Royal Adelaide Show!

Royal Adelaide Show dogs!

Sometimes all you need to do is to look up once in awhile. A view in Chinatown.

Indian Temptation

2010-09-11T00:48:00.004+10:00

One of the perks of having a car is that we get to go places! Indian Temptation's pretty popular for its affordable prices and big servings. It really reminds me of coffee shops back in Malaysia. Nothing fancy at all. This place attracts hordes of Indians and locals alike. People keep pouring in for the food! We had korma, tikka masala, vindaloo and my favourite Indian dessert, gulab jamun! The garlic naan looks pretty tasty, not?

Indian Temptation

490 Main North Road, Blair Athol

Phone: 08 8260 5757

Out and about!

2010-09-10T00:49:00.005+10:00

I'm so excited about having figured out how to put large pictures on my blog! No more crappy auto sized-down pictures! Thought I might share some pictures I've been taking with my phone.

The potato/pancetta (or was it prosciutto) pizza I made last week. YUM!

The SALA Art Exhibition on King William Rd. I loved these giant cassettes!

It looks like Janene was strangling this cute little pup!

If I had the space at home I would've surely brought this baby home and give it a good refurbishing! Colour it with a mighty bold red!

Loved this tart at Eggless on Goodwood Road. Forgot the name but it's got butterscotch-something-something.

Spring is here!

2010-09-08T18:21:00.006+10:00

Things I look forward to in Spring

Wearing dresses! Shorts! Tank tops! Yay!

No more hiding underneath piles of coats and blankets!

Warmth of the sunshine on my skin!

Being able to wear sunnies and not look stupid

Flowers and flowers galore!

People are a tad happier in spring

Not stuck in my boots any longer, bring on the flats and thongs!

Straw hats!

An Evening in Paris

2010-09-05T19:22:00.004+10:00

My housemate (Kristin) and I decided to throw a themed birthday party. Called it 'An Evening in Paris' because we just wanted an excuse to dress up! Everyone played along and dressed to the nines. They made FANTASTIC gourmet food as well! Here are some pictures from the night (Courtesy of Deb G). Plenty more photos to come. It was truly an unforgettable night. Thank you everyone!

me in my blues!

2010-08-31T00:55:00.005+10:00

The past couple of weeks I've had to spend lots of time in the Whyalla plant at Port Bonython (45 mins plane ride from Adelaide). I recently brought mum along with me as well. Finally able to take some pictures of me in my blues!

A totally 'un-glam' shot (no hair dryer = crazy hair) with the rented car

Beautiful sunset against the jetty of the Plant

Two is Better than One (Cover)

2010-08-20T00:05:00.005+10:00

Came across Kina Granis' and AJ Rafael's version today and fell in love with it! Please excuse all the obvious flaws as I was only trying to test out my new i-Pod's recording capabilities. Didn't really practise the song beforehand either :-p

Adelaide's Hidden Gem

2010-08-19T16:14:00.009+10:00

Am at home sick today so I thought I might take the chance to introduce Adelaideans to a recently-discovered gem of a place called 'Queen St' in Croydon (off Port Road). I first read about it some time last year but gave up searching for it as I had no car. However, this place recently surfaced in a magazine which prompted me to go search for it. So off I went alone without much expectation (afterall, this is Adelaide!).

As I drove onto Queen St, there it was, a quaint little street peppered with around a dozen specialty vintage-looking shops! My heart soared, wishing that Lillian was here to squeal with joy with me! The pictures I took here with my camera phone do the place no justice but I've posted them here anyway. I think Rundle St is getting a bit too upmarket and tired. Queen St is definitely a place worth visiting!

our second EVER youtube video!

2010-08-16T19:24:00.002+10:00

This was all spontaneous!

God who answers prayers

2010-08-07T00:12:00.003+10:00

Matthew 7

7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

I think a long time ago I stopped daring to ask/pray for what I wanted. I reckon we should be bold in asking. I guess there were certain things that held me back from asking, such as being afraid that it wasn't His will, afraid that it wouldn't happen, didn't want to be 'selfish' etc. In asking, I think we also have to trust that He will give us what is 'good' for us (refer to verse 9-11). So sometimes it may seem as though He's not answering our prayers but I'm pretty confident that He knows what's best for us. So it's not that He's not answering, it's very likely that what we're asking for is not 'good' for us. Till then, I'm probably going to keep asking. Knock and knock and knock. And if He deems it not 'good' for me, I might be disappointed today. But I'm sure in hindsight I'll praise the Lord for His wisdom. But yes, till then I'll continue knocking.

this feels embarrassing...

2010-07-25T01:26:00.007+10:00

....that's why I choose not to put this on Facebook, but think that I should at least put this piece of news somewhere. So here goes: I baked.

Okay, fine. There! I said it. I BAKED. Oh the embarrassment! After years of proclaiming that I will never ever bake, I finally did it.

Thanks to Masterchef on TV, I saw this Chocolate Ganache (up till yesterday I had no idea what 'ganache' was, well actually, I still am not sure what it is exactly!) tart that was so enticing. I thought to myself, "I have to make this". When I told my mum about my grand plan, she laughed. Yes, the ever-supportive mum who never once laughed at my dreams of becoming a musician or F1 engineer, laughed at my wanting to bake! That further strengthened my resolve to prove her wrong.

So the next day, I went to the markets (I hadn't shopped at the markets for months up till this morning) and bought cream (there would have been like, a bazilion types of creams like you wouldn't believe!) and invested in some pastry pans. I figured to myself, "If I fail at making pastry, at least I can always use these pans to make jelly, right?". I actually was so shy buying those pans, in fact, it felt as though I was buying condoms. I was trying to pretend that I was actually buying it for someone else, but definitely NOT myself.

Before I baked, my mum actually said aloud a prayer for me. Made sure I had divine help and intervention if need be. Janene and Kristen helped out as well. But I must say I was pretty proud of the pastry bit! I had always heard that pastries were difficult to master. Nevertheless, I jumped into the deep end and expected myself to swim, not sink.

Here's the final outcome:

Thank God everyone loved it! :-)

Divine intervention was apparent!

the big questions

2010-07-14T23:52:00.004+10:00

Recently read an article asking certain people some 'big questions'. Interesting to see the wide range of answers these people have. I thought it'd be interesting for me to ponder some of these questions as well, and perhaps I might find out more about myself!

What is the meaning of life?

Whoa! Speaking about getting straight to the BIG one. I recently had an interesting e-mail conversation with a work colleague who is in his 40's. He lamented the fact that he was still searching for something more, that it was so difficult to live because the 'goal post' keeps shifting each day! Being a believer of Jesus, I shared (and believed it for myself) that all of us have to find something that had an eternal purpose. The relationships and material things we earn in this life will only fade away one day, no matter how hard we've worked for them.

Matthew 16:26 - What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?

Is there life after death?

Yes, as a person who believes in Jesus, I do. More importantly, it is knowing this as a fact that changes the way a person lives and thinks. One becomes more hopeful for the future, full of joy, optimism. The past 2 weeks, I had two colleagues who alluded to the fact that the joy they see in me could only be from something spiritual. And that, is the joy of knowing Christ!

What do you see when you look up in the night sky?

When I see a night sky blanketed by a million stars, I am in awe of God's creation. The 'romantic' side of me wished that I was watching it with a loved one. The 'sentimental' part of me imagines my dad up there looking down on me (especially the bigger stars). The 'geek' in my imagines the source of the light, and how long it actually took to travel here from the past! Nevertheless, star-gazing is one of my favourite things to do. Just gaze upon them in silence, being surrounded by the symphony of crickets.

What amazes you about the world?

The fact that we have a bazillion places to see! Travelling widens one's perspective and changes one's thinking for the better.

What does happiness mean?

Happiness is having a great husband, baby, a dog and my very own home! We don't have a home in Malaysia anymore eversince the departure of my dad.

What's the most important stuff in your life?

My most immediate answer would be God, family and friends. But those aren't 'stuff'. If we're bent on definition, it would be my dad's old e-mails to me a few months before he passed away. I have multiple soft and hard copies of them stashed around just in case!

What motto sums up your approach in life?

This one's easy: Carpe Diem! Sieze the day! Having experienced the transient nature of mortality in my life, I've learnt to live each day to the fullest. We never know if there's a tomorrow. That said, I'm still reserved/shy about certain things.

Five words that sum up your values:

I would never attempt to answer this. It's tantamount to blowing one's own trumpet! However, I do always aim to live as how I would like to be talked about in my eulogy! It was my high school teacher's way of teaching us to live according to certain values. Unfortunately, at this stage, all I'm being known for is the girl who 'likes F1, is an engineer, likes to sew, sing'. While this is not bad in itself, it is not how I want to be talked about. At the end of the day, I want to be remembered as a caring person, joyful, and someone who loved God. I'm not perfect, not there yet. But hopefully, God is slowly moulding me to become someone He wants me to be! Work in progress!

Happy Pre Birthday Sue Ann!

2010-07-12T23:39:00.002+10:00

Happy 14th Birthday Sue Ann! You're a young lady now! Much taller than I am. What better way to celebrate than to post a montage of your embarrasing pictures for all the world to see! I recorded the song for you as well :-) Enjoy!And remember: Be yourself. We don't always have to follow the crowd!

Love lots, miss you,

Jan Jan

the brief return of the blogger in me

2010-07-11T14:44:00.006+10:00

Lazy Sunday afternoons. It's been awhile since I've had them. Always trying to fill every second of my life with some form of activity has left me pretty much 'tired'. So today was a great opportunity to just 'do nothing'. It's more difficult than you think! The bright idea of re-reading my past blog entries came about (5 years' worth). Surprisingly I learnt quite a bit of myself! (FYI: I have a memory of a gold fish)

Apparently I loved "A Walk To Remember" (much to my amazement!)
Wow, I actually loved blogging A LOT
In my first year I actually felt intimidated by being in a class with 30 guys and 2 girls! Hah, no longer afraid now!
In first year, I teared up at my friends' graduation because I wanted mine as well! Loving working life now!
I forgot I was in this special maths class for "students who displayed 'first class' maths abilities". Bah, sucked at it and reverted to the class for 'normal' people. Some of you might know that I'm far from possessing 'first class abilities'. Haha.
Thought 'eraser shields' were the best things since sliced bread
Some of my close friends would agree to this: I was bossy. Okay, am bossy.
Missed the good old days at Gosse (hostel) where we stayed up late all the time to chat.
The power of prayer: If we have time to pray, God has time to listen
Used to have mood swings. Praise God I've 'matured' since then haha. Don't have them no more!
I used to tear up thinking about my incompetency. Still do unfortunately.

Barely past the first year of blogging, I'm already bored reading them. Oh well. I guess it's good to reflect/remember how one used to be and how in hindsight one's changed internally (hopefully for the better!). I can testify that God is faithful always. He's been my one and only source of hope, comfort and strength. In recent months, I fell in love with a passage from Hosea 11 and 14, where God's passionate love for His people is talked about. It's just beautiful, I would encourage you to read it.

I had always been very excited about life. Still am, praise God!

First ever youtube cover!

2010-06-01T00:57:00.001+10:00

Bitter heart

2010-05-23T19:18:00.003+10:00

My cover of Zee Avi's 'Bitter Heart'.

Lillian, this one's for you! In return for the wonderful scrap book, photo frame, Mt Fuji origami, Hello Kitty you sent to me!

90% of the pictures were taken by Lillian....

(please ignore the background noise of the computer, as I was using the little 'hole' of a mic on my laptop!)

conversations with a taxi driver

2010-04-26T21:23:00.004+10:00

I recently had an interesting conversation with an old Italian man. I don't normally get meaningful chats like this, and when I do, I treasure them.

I was catching a cab ride back from the airport after flying in from Moomba in the evening. Still in my uniform and feeling exhausted, I hopped into his cab. Stealing a look at him (as I do with all drivers), I quickly gathered that this man was a stern looking one. So I made it a point to keep quiet.

Soon, he broke the silence by asking where I had flown in from, and it got out that I was an engineer. He went on to talk about his son, whom he must have been obviously proud of, who was studying to be a professor in a local hospital. It was soon disclosed that he was in his late 60's and that he was from Rome (he had a very thick Italian accent).

Some how or rather, we came to talk about dancing, and how he was still involved in competitive ballroom dancing! I commended him for his enthusiasm in dance at this old age, as well as living life to the fullest.

You see, ever since my dad's passing, I took it upon myself that my mum and I would try our best to live our lives to the fullest. When faced with the transient nature of mortality, you cannot but hold to this idea. So, I shared this with the taxi driver, who, surprisingly revealed that his wife passed away a few months ago. Further, he lamented about the difficulties in finding a dance partner now that he didn't have one anymore. But he was determined to continue dancing each week, rather than dwell in the past, however difficult it would be. And that I admired.

At this point, tears welled up in my eyes, trying to understand how difficult it must be to move on in life after such a tragic loss. At once, I felt deeply empathetic and didn't quite know what to say. However, after I gathered myself, we once more talked about life and shared our thoughts.

We soon reached my place, prematurely ending our heart-felt conversation. After making the payment, he turned back to me, and with the sincerest tone he said, "Thank you for the talk". And at once my heart experienced something that I could not describe. Something like this would only ever happen to me once in a blue moon. I too, thanked him, as the short chat lifted my spirits after a long day at work in the desert.

Ending this post, I would like to remember my father (Daddy) who went home to my Father in heaven 6 years ago this week. It certainly has been a long time for me and mum. It is by God's strength that we continue to live our lives. I love you, and I miss you. I will never forget your voice, the smell of your sweat (!!), how you incessantly clear your throat, the look of your face, what your hands felt like, your round tummy, how you had a T-shirt tan on your body (!!), how you loved gelling your hair (which started at an old age!), how you loved to steal Mummy's Estee Lauder perfume, how you always stole my Horlicks candies and how we always fought for the 'power stick' (aka remote control).

But more importantly, I will remember what a kind-hearted and compassionate man you were. You will always be the most important man in my life, no boy (or man!) can ever take that place. Thank you for inspiring me to become whatever I wanted to be in life and for giving me all that you had. I'm sorry you never got to enjoy the pleasures of life but again, the true 'adventure' and pleasure in life has always been the journey with our little family.

We remember and miss you dearly Daddy.

Honeybee Cover

2010-04-17T19:16:00.001+10:00

Lazy Saturday afternoon recording. Please be kind with your comments. I know the guitar playing is a bit sub-par! This is my first time! Hope you like it.

Mushi mushi!

2010-04-15T00:43:00.001+10:00

My new pride and joy!

2010-02-12T22:51:00.002+11:00

Her name is Mika, after Mika Hakkinen!

Hong Kong 2009

2009-12-30T01:29:00.002+11:00

God made the world with so many colours

2009-11-28T02:23:00.002+11:00

stop.park.reflect

2009-11-23T00:51:00.002+11:00

Perhaps we're not stopping enough to listen what He has to say to us.
We're always busy 'going somewhere'.
Maybe it's chasing our own dreams.
Maybe it's looking for His purpose for us.
Doesn't matter.
Stop.
Listen.
Follow.

Sew What!

2009-11-10T00:18:00.001+11:00

My sewing endeavours...

Mt Gambier 2009 - Road Trip!

2009-10-15T00:43:00.002+11:00

We had a wonderful 3 days and 2 nights going to Mt Gambier. Stopped along little towns like Robe, Kingston, went through Coorong National Park, Nelson (Victoria), Port MacDonnell, Coonawarra, Murray Bridge. It was quite beautiful. Really, as much as I'd hate to quote cliche, but it wasn't the destination but the journey that counted. We had so much fun taking pictures everywhere. Thank God for the wonderful company I had in Lillian and Melissa my housemates. We had a little surprise for Lillian as well in the motel as it was her birthday. Brought paper lanterns to play with (Chinese Mooncake Festival) but was too afraid to because there could've been restrictions. Didn't really feel like burning down Mt Gambier on our first road trip. Well, at least not on our FIRST road trip. Haha. Note to CFA: ONLY KIDDING!

Thank God the Blue Lake was blue! It was only due to turn blue in November but praise God it was blue when we went there in October. Really, the trip to Mount Gambier was to see 3 kinds of 'holes' : Hole in the mountains (cave), hole in the ground filled with water (crater lakes) and hole in the ground (sink holes). But it was a good trip altogether.

SKIRTO!

2009-09-25T00:48:00.003+10:00

My first attempt at sewing skirts. Baby skirt for year-old abigail. For myself, found some cloth in the remnants bin at Spotlight, so I impulsively decided to make myself a skirt as well! Just simply hentam cut and sew only (the adult skirt).

Melbourne 2009!

2009-08-30T00:12:00.002+10:00

Had a great time. Was there for the weekend with my colleagues (Alison and Vanessa) and Vanessa's husband. Apart from the whole Tiger Airways trauma/saga (flight cancellation, stranded in Melbourne for 24 hours, forking out extra money etc), the trip was great. Some of the highlights were: going to the theatre (Shakespeare's Pericles) which was surprisingly delightful, visiting Salvador Dali's exhibition (nice but weird. plain weird.) and SUSHI HUNTING! Took some pictures with my new camera, so enjoy!

everything in between

2009-07-03T01:52:00.004+10:00

Work for the past few months has been great. I really thank God for the opportunities He's given me. I enjoy what I do a lot and I guess I never got around blogging about what I do at work. It would probably bore you if I talked about pumps and compressors. But amongst the interesting things:

1. This has got to be the most interesting one as I was asked to represent our company for this photoshoot for work. It was weird because they had me standing close (REALLY close) to this guy from another company in all the shots. Apparently we had to be in close proximity in order to get a good picture. I hardly knew him! We had to point at machines and pretend to be in deep conversation. Heck, I was just staring at his teeth in all the shots. Couldn't bring myself to 'look into his eyes'. I may want to reserve that pose for someone special right? Hehe. I may never see the poster in my lifetime but I sure hope they won't use it to wrap nasi lemak!

2. "Confined Space Training". It was a 3-day course to learn how to work in confined spaces and use breathing apparatus (BA). Got to use a safety harness which even the smallest size was too big for me. The instructor struggled to find any equipment that fit me nicely. He said I was the smallest person he had ever trained! Don't know if it was a compliment or insult. Hehe. We had to be hung over this large hole and work our way through the dark confined space. Pitch black. I felt like Darth Vader when they made us put on this breathing apparatus. The oxygen tank I had to carry was practically dragging on the floor as I was vertically-challenged.

3. Travelled to Moomba and Whyalla a couple of times so far. I have always enjoyed my trips there as the people are quite nice and the food is good. I personally prefer Whyalla as it is a little town by the sea. The sea breeze blowing through the processing plant can easily make me fall asleep there! But travelling on those turbo-prop planes to Whyalla is deafening! SO noisy those machines.

4. Got to bring a high school kid around at work for half a day. Had to 'inspire' him to become an engineer which is supposed to be the 'awesomest' job in the world :-p. That was nice. I would've thought he was cute if I were a high school girl.

5. Other stuff: Enrolled in singing classes starting July! Almost finished decoupaging a table Lillian and I found by the road. TOTALLY addicted to Star Trek Voyager.

live today like there's no tomorrow

2009-05-28T23:44:00.004+10:00

Picture courtesy of watchingmewatchingyou on Flickr!

There's really many equivalent lines that say the same. Sieze the day. Carpe diem. Don't worry. Be happy. But my personal mantra is: Life is short because we might die tomorrow. So live.

You may laugh but it's true. Ever since experiencing death in my family, I came to realize that every day is precious. Have you got a passion? DO IT! LIVE IT! Don't wait till you are free, or till you retire. Because before you know it, you're dead. And I mean it in the nicest possible sense.

Bought a new dress? WEAR IT the next day! Why wait till there's a special occassion?

Been given new cutlery and chinaware for housewarming? USE IT for tonight's dinner. Don't keep it on display!

Been dreaming of making that pilgrimage to your favourite sporting club? START SAVING and go ASAP!

Thinking of taking up French lessons? Tap dance classes? Want to know how to make wax candles? ENROL yourself right now!

Dare yourself to do crazy things. Live life to the fullest. Because we might be dead tomorrow. Sounds morbid I know.

And most importantly, honour God in all you do :-)

Matthew 6:34 -Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

the engineer goes to a dentistry scientific meeting!

2009-05-22T00:56:00.003+10:00

Okay, you know how lazy a blogger I have been lately. But what happened today was just too funny! Here goes:

Basically, I had a training session for work at the Hilton today. Right across my training room was a huge dental expo thing going on. Apparently, upon googling them up, I realised it was the "14th Australian and New Zealand Academy of Periodontists Scientific Meeting". Like I know what it means! Let's just call it 'Dentist Expo' for now.

I had a bit of time in between training, so I thought, 'Why not hop on in to see if I can get some freebies?' (as you do, at all expos!). Being the polite gate-crasher I am, I asked the lady at the entrance if I could enter, since I wasn't a participant. She said 'Sure!'. Or at least that's what I thought she said, because the things that ensued later on sort of indicated that maybe I had mistaken her.

So there I was, the engineer amongst all these snotty-primly-dressed dentists (if you're reading this and you're a dentist: I'm only kidding). I tried hard to lift my head up high as a mechanical engineer. We're not that bad ok?

People were loitering around with their wine glasses, chatting, laughing and eating their tiny little fancy finger-foods. I was navigating my way through, ignoring all the non-relevant stalls (selling dentists' instruments) and headed straight for the Listerine booth.

The lady tending the Listerine booth started talking to me. The conversation went something like this:

Listerine Lady (LL): Hi, would you like to try our new floss?

Janice (JK): Erm, sure. (feeling a little apprehensive, knowing that she might have mistaken me for a dentist)

LL: Here, have a feel. (hands me the floss and encourages me to have a pull. She continues to talk about the fibre...or something....or it being the improved floss...or was it a super floss? Didn't matter, all I wanted was her to give me free floss)

JK: Hmm, yes it's pretty strong (pretending to pull the floss in all directions, as if to test the structural integrity of that floss, as all engineers do!)

LL: Would you like to try some floss?

JK: Sure! That would be great. (takes the big pack of super-all-new-and-improved floss)

LL: Would you like to try the new Listerine as well? (points to the purple bottle of Listerine)

JK: Oh yes! I've seen this in the market (trying to sound like a dentist but secretly remembering thinking this purple Listerine looked gross the first time she saw it on tv)

LL goes on to explain how this purple Listerine was also an all-new-and-improved mouth wash. The crux of it was I managed to walk away from the Listerine stall with an all-new-and-improved bottle of Listerine and some packet of super-floss. She later gave me a CD and book on oral hygiene (which mind you, was apparently very good. Oh bless her soul).

After bidding goodbye with my new-found Listerine-lady-friend, I trotted off to the Oral-B booth. Straight away, the OB lady asked me if I had seen 'this' magazine before (pointing to a colourful book in her hands). I said I hadn't, and she went on to explain how great this magazine was. Here's the conversation:

Oral-B Lady (OBL): This book is pretty good, you can use it to explain to patients what they have, instead of over-simplifying the matter. (she flips the book back and forth)

JK: Hmm yes, looks like a very good book (pretends to flip the book back and forth. I then flipped to the front cover to find out it was a Scientific American special dentist edition, and thought 'sure! I don't mind one!')

OB-L: You should keep one at your practice. It's really good. Here, have some floss and tooth brush as well!

At this stage, JK freaks out at the mention of her imaginary 'dental practice'. But silently nods and keeps her calm. She took the free floss and brush of course! In fact she's been meaning to buy a new tooth brush! What better timing? The worst came when OB-L's colleague, Oral-B Lady Two (O-BL2) comes to me.

O-BL2: And where do you practice?

JK now wishes for the fancy Hilton carpet to swallow her up. PRONTO.

JK: Erm......(long deliberate pause)....erm.......actually, I'm an engineer. Not a dentist.

You could literally see O-BL's face drop and O-BL2 looked like she was ready to pounce on me the lowly, dentist-imposter engineer.

O-BL: I'm afraid I will have to get the book back. We want to give it to dentists (promptly takes the book from my hands and places it back on its shelf).

O-BL2 to O-BL: Yea, you should be careful because some of these people who dont' have tags didn't pay to come in.

Now, JK quickly says thank you and quickly walks away with her new Oral-B floss and toothbrush, Listerine mouth wash, Johnson & Johnson super duper floss, and some lecture CD on oral hygiene.

Who's laughing now, Oral-B Ladies? Take that!

Disclaimer: Although yours-truly admits this was a truly cheapskate thing to do, it was quite fun! And I never once claimed I was a dentist! They just assumed I was!

easter

2009-04-11T02:48:00.002+10:00

People around me say they know the real meaning of easter. Maybe they just wanted to 'nicely' let me know that they weren't interested. Hard for people to realise that they are the very reason why Easter happened!

In short:

We, who are sinful, are separated from God. And because God so loved the world, He gave His only son, so that whoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life (John 3:16-ish). Jesus died for our sins, so that we can have a relationship with God. On the third day after his death, Jesus rose again, meaning that He had defeated death. That's when Easter Sunday is.

The relevance of Easter for us (everyone):

By having faith that Jesus has washed away our sins, we are able to have a relationship with God. Not just any relationship, but an intimate one, where you put your hope and faith in Him. It's really a wonderful journey to walk in, with God holding you while braving through the ups and downs of life! Really thank God He found me.

He's knocking on the door of your heart always. It's only a matter of whether or not you're letting Him into your heart.

Happy Easter!

Sewing projects

2009-04-05T22:45:00.002+10:00

Recently bought a sewing machine with my first pay. It was only AUD$199. The RRP was $300++ but it was double-reduced. I love my sewing machine. Here's some of the things I sewed recently. Don't look too close! My handiwork is not perfect as I have only started sewing 3 weeks ago. If you want, you can buy cloth and I can sew stuff for you (simple ones first!). Don't feel bad because I want to practise! And yes, I will do it free for you!

Pictured here also are our sushi train outing. They had their annual '$3 for everything' promotion. We had 43 plates amongst the 6 of us, which is an okay number. Was excited beyond comprehension! Wasn't even THAT excited when I graduated/started work.

Notice that the sushi photos are all without food in them. Obviously we were all too busy eating and not taking photos!

a new life

2009-03-28T23:08:00.002+11:00

What a few weeks it has been! Started work, Mummy went home to Kuala Lumpur, established a whole new group of friends at work, experiencing a different lifestyle altogether! Work has been great, it's challenging for myself, but I guess that's the fun part. I've worked out that as a mechanical engineer, I'm really like a detective trying to piece together information from everywhere and everyone, then diagnosing what's really wrong with a piece of machinery. Of course, too bad it's not as easy as it sounds. People at work are really nice and friendly, and especially patient as they don't mind spending time teaching us newbies the ropes. The best thing is that there is even a bible study group at work! It's great to know that God can use us anywhere, even at the work place, to touch the lives of others.

Being involved with the Discovery Group in OCF and New Life program at church has been a blessing as I enjoy very much spending time with people who are seeking God and wanting to know more about Him. To be in the midst of so much hunger for something more (God) is quite refreshing and astounding!

Of course, earning my own money has been, to say the least, liberating! Been easing out of the 'multiply by 3' mode slowly. Y'know, since I don't have to feel guilty about spending my parents' hard-earned money in Malaysian Ringgit! It's good to remain thrifty as well since we're now in the GEC (Global Economic Crisis).

Life as a 'single and available ' again is quite challenging. Don't worry, I'm not hanging on to the past, in fact I very much look forward to the future. But it takes some getting used to. I guess now the focus is to learn to grow deeper and deeper in love with God, and not boys! To seek Him first in all I do and to be rooted in Him. Only God knows how much I would love to have children of my own (which necessitates the need for a husband *ahem*), but that grand plan will have to wait :-)

Invested in a sewing machine recently and am loving it! I am learning to sew simple things like bags, scarves, aprons, whatever that doesn't need hours of work. Perhaps I should post up pictures of my handiwork.

Am planning to visit Tokyo and New York in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Have to start saving, and think ahead! Hopefully with my new life ahead, I will do things I have always dreamt of like buskering in the streets, travelling, being part of a musical, and of course, continue to serve God faithfully.

HOT!

2009-02-04T18:34:00.001+11:00

Look what the heat wave here as done to the poor baby koala! Hottest days in a century! 45 degrees!

not much of a bookworm anymore

2009-01-15T17:53:00.008+11:00

I used to be able to read for hours and hours. Not anymore. I've tried repeatedly to 'immerse' myself in a book. All effort has been futile. Remember how you'd use to put 'reading' as a hobby in your friend's 'autograph book'? I guess that's now replaced with an uncivilised 'watching tv'. How embarrassing. To date, I've only managed to finish one book which is 'Marley and Me'. I didn't know it was being turned into a movie. Otherwise I would've done the more efficient way: watch the movie. I know purists would beg to differ! Some of the books that I've been trying to start or finish are (obviously excludes the countless books I've given up on the past 3 months):

Barack Obama: Dreams from My Father

Just wanted to understand his background. That's all. Nothing much. Obama wrote this over 10 years ago when he became the first black man to head the Harvard Law Review. This book resembles an autobiography although sometimes I cannot follow his train of thoughts. Quite 'jumpy'. Or maybe I'm not concentrating hard enough.

Jean Claude Carriere: Please Mr Einstein

I've always wanted to read this book ever since I first read its review in the papers few years ago. Haven't started yet. It's sort of like an interview (fictional) with Einstein. Finally found it in a book sale for $3. Hope he's not rolling in his grave!

Scilla Elworthy and Gabrielle Rifkind: Making Terrorism History

Was a bit scared bringing this book up the plane, especially with T-word boldly emblazoned across the tiny book. Yes TINY BOOK and I still haven't finished it. It's sort of like a review of what's been happening and two authors' views on how things should be done right. Basically 'what the US is doing wrong' and 'YOU SHOULD DO THIS'. Lots of conflict management stuff.

Tan Twan Eng: The Gift of Rain

Am normally not into emo books like this (unlike my late grandma) but the author's familiar-sounding Cantonese name caught my attention, plus the fact that it was nominated for the much coveted Man Booker prize. Got much international attention as well. The author is apparently a lawyer from Malaysia! This book is set in Malaya when the Japanese were still around. Needless to say, haven't started!

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Richard Feynman: Six Easy Pieces

Aiya this book has been with me for many many years. I started it back in high school and needless to say, haven't finished yet! Cis! Angry at myself already. Some excerpts from Feynman's famous lectures in physics. Supposedly 'easy'.

God: The Holy Bible

Cialat or not? Bible also haven't read from cover to cover.

I think writing this post, I suddenly realised why I haven't managed to finish a single book. There are no 'babies' or 'puppies' in all the books that I've been trying to read! The ONE book I managed to finish in recent times was about a dog! (Marley and Me)

Aussie couple wed in fast-food style

2009-01-12T00:49:00.001+11:00

Now THIS is what I've been dreaming about, except that Taco Bell is replaced with KFC!

Sydney and Canberra 09

2009-01-09T02:06:00.002+11:00

Just came back from Sydney and Canberra with my mum. Will jot down some highlights (though there were many) in case I end up forgetting things like the European and Tasmanian trip.

Day 1
Staple attractions like the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House did not disappoint. Saw them during the day time as well as night. Each view beautiful in their own right. Saw the Olympic Park where Sydney 2000 games were. It was alongside Acer Arena, which further jolted me to GO for Top Gear Live in Sydney. Blue Mountain was okay, apart from cultural importance, I was a bit disappointed by its plainness. I have a feeling that such a comment would irk some people. Sydney Fish Market I thought was overrated as it was labeled the ‘Second Largest Fish Market in the World’. Bleh. Only 10% of the market was open to the public. Had sashimi and sushi almost everyday since Sydney had such a variety of Japanese food. Due to the competitive nature of this industry, sushi was relatively cheaper than here in Adelaide.

Day 2
Another highlight was the Star Wars exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum. Saw props and costumes from the movie as well as video clips on the ‘making-of’. Enjoyed looking at my favourite characters like R2D2 and Yoda. Bondi beach, as it is known, is over-rated as well. It’s an ‘okay’ beach. Crowded with bikini-clad girls walking along the malls. Was quite disgusted with the fact that I was in the midst of these half-naked sweaty people there!

Day 3

Went to Guy Lian café and Lindt Café in Sydney. Chocolate galore! Almost died of chocolate O.D. Drank the most expensive milkshake I ever had, but worth every penny. Photos will speak for themselves. Also went to IMAX but had occasionally fallen asleep watching this 3D Ocean show (can’t recall the name) but kena cheated la. It was fatally boring. All it showed was sardine living and dying. Yikes. Some scenes were beautiful but the rest of ‘bleh’. Lesson: IMAX is only good for animated features.

Day 4
Went to Canberra for the day as it’s only 3 hours from Sydney. It REALLY is a hole. Well, kind of. The city was quite tiny and quiet, though the people were quite friendly (as you’d expect from a small place). The national monuments were quite beautiful. Went to the National Gallery of Australia, War Memorial and New Parliament. The Memorial was beautiful and makes one reflect on the importance of remembering those who have fought for the present generation. I really do hope that future generations continue to remember what our fore-fathers have done for us regardless of our nationalities. It was interesting going into the Parliament, seeing where Australia’s leaders make important decisions for the country. However, there was no ‘seating’ for that day, otherwise it would’ve been nice to see them at work. At the National Gallery was an exhibition for Edgar Degas, a famous artiste I had previously heard of (but not familiar with). Didn’t see it because I thought the Monet exhibition back in Sydney was more worth it. Anyway, in the National Gallery (Canberra) were some pieces by the very few artists that I actually knew, like Monet, Liechtenstein, Matisse and Warhol. Was excited to see real-life masterpieces which I otherwise wouldn’t be able to see in Adelaide!

Day 5
At the Art Gallery of New South Wales, there was a Monet exhibition along with some other impressionists. Worth every penny. Saw art works of Monet himself, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Matisse and some Japanese dudes (with all due respect). Although I don’t know much about art, I know I prefer impressionistic works to the more contemporary works of Dali and Picasso. I can never understand these two guys. I guess similar to music, I prefer the impressionistic period of music. Guys like Debussy make music that seems to dance along with these artworks.

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So yes, hope you don’t mind the language style of my simple write-up, or lack thereof, as I’m rushing through this. I hope I can one day do the same for the Tasmania and Europe trips. Stay tuned!

My Graduation!!

2008-12-30T11:17:00.003+11:00

Finally we've reached the finish line. Truly God's grace and mercy brought me through this past 5 years, both in uni and personally. My life testifies His providence and love towards Mummy and I. There have been ups and downs, but God has always given us the strength to go through life's predicaments. I started off college holding on to the promise God made in Joshua 1:9 - Be strong and of good courage, be not afraid nor dismayed for the LORD is with you wherever you go. Today, upon finishing this race, I can say that God has always unfailingly kept His promise to me. So will He to you. Amen!

mika hakkinen on top gear!

2008-11-14T01:56:00.002+11:00

YAY! Mika Hakkinen will be appearing on Top Gear in the coming episode. He will be racing against James May (Captain Slow!). I can't wait! Oh how I miss the good ol' days when he and Schuey were racing. I miss the McLaren MP4-'teens terribly. Seeing them now brings back tons of good memories.

my planet in little big planet!

2008-11-09T19:40:00.000+11:00

betul ke ni?

2008-11-06T15:48:00.005+11:00

If you read my last post, I asked if it was possible for the non-Malays to lead Malaysia. Of course, that's an inevitable question and it was only a matter of time before someone asked Badawi. Came upon this article and here's an excerpt:

It is possible for anyone from a minority group to be a nation’s leader, even in Malaysia, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi. “It is up to the people to decide, just as the Americans had done through the democratic process,” he said while extending his congratulations to Senator Barack Obama. Reporters had asked him in the Parliament lobby yesterday if it were possible for a person from a minority group to become Prime Minister in Malaysia

To laugh or dream on, saya pun tak tau. But how can we dismiss something as impossible if in fact, there's still a tiny chance of it coming true?

change

2008-11-05T17:41:00.007+11:00

Picture courtesy of Vanity Fair

That's the mantra that has been driving Barack Obama's recent US Presidential Election campaign. He's done it. He has finally won the much coveted seat in the Oval Office. Being a more inspirational speaker than McCain, Obama has convinced the people of the United States of America, and myself, that the US of A has finally got someone to lead the efforts in cleaning up the mess left by George Bush. I cannot wait to see what will happen in the next few months after he has been officially inducted into the White House in January. Certainly, people will expect a lot from him almost immediately. We'll see. The USA had, in the past 8 years of Bush's term in Office, almost effortlessly lost the respect of the rest of the world. It's going to take a heck of an effort to restore itself and once again regain the respect of others.

It's funny how people always refer to Obama as a 'black man', and that he's the first 'black man in office'. Really, it's the same with Lewis Hamilton being the first 'black man' to win the F1 drivers' title. But they are half white as well! Just because it's less common for a black man to win an F1 title or become the head of a mostly-white state, seems to justify people conveniently forgetting that as much as they are black, they are also white! As with Tiger Woods also, but he's half Thai. Maybe people should start labelling Obama as the first 'half-white and half-black' president! Or, maybe in the future, wouldn't it be funny if there was another 'genuine' black guy in Office and we labelled him 'the first fully-black president'? But we all know better, that skin colour does not decide a person's capabilities, but merely is a result of different wavelengths captured by our retinas! :-)

Remember the Japanese president of Peru, Alberto Fujimori? (okay we all know he was a baddie!) I was really puzzled back then as to how on earth an Asian could lead a South American country (no Wikipedia then!). But I guess life is really full of surprises. Which leads me to my question, will Malaysia one day have a non-Malay Prime Minister? Very unlikely. But more than 50 years ago, people also thought it would be impossible for a black man to become the president of the USA, let alone have the right to vote. Anything's possible! We'll wait and see what becomes of Malaysia 50 years from now!

Check out the Cabbage Patch dolls of the candidates! Creepy but cute! On auction at E-bay!

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-11-03T11:00:00.005+11:00

THANK GOD!! Even Lewis Hamilton himself thanked God! It couldn't be anything else but a divine intervention! Such an exciting finish to the year!

MCLAREN FINALLY WON THE DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP!

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I have been waiting 9 years just to say these words! NINE YEARS! I may have stopped following F1 religiously (as I literally did, used to pray every night for them!) but I have always waited for this day to come. And boy, was it not without drama! I have been envisioning how I would react if this day ever did come. Of course, I knew it would come, it was just a matter of time.

Fair though, that Kimi took the championship by a point last year from Lewis. It's only natural that Lewis takes it by a point this year. But it wasn't until the last three turns that the championship was decided! Truly by divine intervention.

Ferrari won the constructors' title, they shouldn't complain. But everyone knows it's the drivers' title that matters most huh? I hope you share this joy with McLaren! It's been a terribly long road, with points stripped last year thanks to stupid Alonso.

On the other hand, poor Coulthard's final race was marred by a first-round crash. Unfortunately, or unsurprisingly, an unforgettable swan song was not to be. DC was allowed just this once to have a different livery to that of his team, probably to mark the end of his career, but more so to help promote a charity supporting spinal chord injuries research. This picture shows almost all the drivers, test drivers included, posing with DC for a final picture. I used to be a fan of his, even dreamt of him coming to my high school canteen (bleh). Used to wear his cap everywhere! It now sits safely in my stash of F1 memorabilia. What I truly truly miss was the partnership between Mika Hakkinen and DC back in the 90s when McLaren was living in its glory days. McLaren may have been away, but watch out for them! THEY'RE BACK!

art!

2008-11-02T22:03:00.002+11:00

I made a few cards to save my some money. Hope you like it! Thanks to Mel my housemate who has a treasure trove of art supplies! Was inspired by spring time with all the flowers everywhere. So I went to Spotlight and bought a flower to wear! Only AUD3 as compared to the usual AUD10 sold in clothes store. Also bought three vintage buttons for a dollar to make ear rings. Hope to post them here asap.

mecheng exhibition pictures

2008-10-25T16:14:00.000+11:00

final year exhibition!

2008-10-22T21:27:00.002+11:00

I can't believe four years have passed! Finally it's my turn! I've been going to every exhibition for the past 5 years. We have it good this year, because it's not going to be in Uni grounds, but the Adelaide Showgrounds! Hope you can drop by to visit us in Booth 6.

one more month!

2008-10-18T22:20:00.003+11:00

I can't believe this! The following one month will be my last ever in the academic world! WOW. I'm excited! Just got to persevere till then. Super crazy busy. I still can't believe it. Then it will be two months before I become a real mechanical engineer! Not a mechanical engineering student, but a REAL engineer! *faints with excitement*. Of course, it's just the start I know. Don't rain on my parade please!

WOOT!

Few things I would like to go see in the next few months if I had tons of money lying around:

Wicked the Musical (again of course!)
TOP GEAR LIVE IN SYDNEY!!!
Jose Carreras in Adelaide
Australian Open (Tennis Grand Slam)
Alicia Keys
Chris Brown and Rihanna

Perhaps you didn't know of my liking towards Top Gear? I didn't use to like it, but after Dennis' influence on me, I especially love watching Top Gear challenges. SO funny! I'd recommend it to you even if you didn't like cars. Go for the humour!

re-post: letters from daddy

2008-10-09T00:37:00.007+11:00

Proverbs 10:12 (CEV)

Hatred stirs up trouble;
love overlooks the wrongs that others do.

Was just randomly looking at my past posts, just to see how I was then. Re-reading this post made me remember Daddy again. And I think he deserves to be remembered each moment as he was a man who did not compromise his integrity. I can bravely say that I'm proud to be his daughter. I hope by reading the following, you will come to appreciate and cherish your dads (and mums!) while you still can. Whatever hurt or anger harbored, give it to Jesus. Put it down, and move on. If you still can't let go of things, "DAMN IT! LET GO!" *shakes you vigorously*. Let go of your pride. Let go of differences. Let go of each other's weaknesses. Let go. LET GO!!!!!! I miss my daddy, he's not around. But chances are, yours still is. Call him now and talk to him. Here's the post I posted a long time ago:

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I know I just posted a few hours ago but I feel the agonizing need to post this. I've just been reading Daddy's emails to me when I first came to Australia. Mummy called me everynight but Daddy was always the most hi-tech one in the family, so naturally he emailed me frequently. I saved 2 hard copies of the emails, 2 backup document files on the computer and also CD and floppy copies. I hold them so precious in my heart. I can't bear to lose them. Those letters are the only way Daddy can speak to my heart now. No matter how many times I read them, I always get something new out of it! I've just been looking at his pictures. I realised that in the pictures that we took at the airport the day I left KL, he never smiled at all. He was sad. Poor thing. Looking at the letters and pictures leave my crying everytime but with each tear I cry, God gives me the hope that I WILL see Daddy again one day. That's the hope that keeps me going. Anyway, I just wanted to share excerpts from the letters, humour, advice and all.

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1. Yeah, we went to church last Sunday and we will go again coming Sunday and thereafter. So you should attend church as well.
This makes me leap for joy each time I read it because it's His way of reassuring me of Daddy's salvation. Dad was just then getting to know Christ more.

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2. Regarding your missing omelette, did you call in Sherlock Holmes to help you in the case of the missing egg?
Yes, Daddy had a cheesy sense of humour. It does NOT run in the family!

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3. Remember to drink more water. It prevents dehydration and cleanses the kidney and liver and keeps them healthy.
I used to call Daddy Dr Quack (he's not a doc). I remember he once 'prescribed' some antibiotics that he had given to our dog, to a family friend! (Don't worry, the antibiotics were meant for human consumption!)

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4. u will never be lonely. u have yr books, music n above all God is always there for u. Speak to Him n He will answer.
Again, I thank God each time I see this phrase because Daddy was just coming back to Jesus! Dad obviously knew what my passions were!

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5. u know u have yr mission in life n must make certain sacrifices to get it but remember that mummy n i will always be there for u
He was so supportive of whatever I did. Both my musical and F1 passions were encouraged with much enthusiasm!
6. i try to spend time with mummy so as to help her adjust to life sans jan jan routines
Daddy had many nicknames for me. Among the few are 'Bib' (as in, Baby), Jan-Jan, and Poke (as in, Pokie bear, which my uncles call me too!) Yea we have a "Smokey Bear" and a "Big bear" in the family too!

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7. mummy says "woh ai nee"
My Mum and Dad and I used to jokingly speak in terrible Mandarin (me and my dad), pretending to be Taiwanese superstars in concerts who always yell out, "TAH CHIA HAO! WO AI NEE!!!!". Weird family but nevertheless, loving.

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8. ...correction. driving range is not golfing. so one game per week or at most two
Dad had a late surge of passion for golf. He was just complaining of not having enough time. Golf was probably the only sport I ever knew he played! Although he used to do competitive cycling. Sportiness doesn't run in the family as you can see!

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9. last night mummy n i went to the alpha class at cmc. i think it's a good start. still a long way to go. will keep u posted of progress
God's reassurance for me! Daddy! I WILL SEE YOU ONE DAY IN HEAVEN!

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10. don't worry size doesn't matter unless u want to be a grappler on the wwe. now u know why i always ask u to eat more veg and meat and exercise. don't worry what we lack in height we can make it up with brains
OH YEA! GO DADDY! You said it!! I still don't know what a grappler is. As you can tell, Daddy's a HUGE fan of WWE. I still don't understand. Oh well.

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11. . i have stopped trying to change people a long time ago. i used to do that to my classmates but very often this is futile. people's life are sometimes complex and have become what they are due to years of influence by their environment.expert counselling skills are needed
Sigh, I wish I knew this part. It would've saved me trouble.

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12. remember u study for yourself and your future.don't do it for us. remember the Divine One is always close at hand to help
SMILES! Daddy's so encouraging. I remember he once caught me crying in my room because I was afraid I would fail History. He told me as long as I had tried my best. That was what all that mattered. He then gave me a big bear hug. Aww.

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13. happy to hear that u are contributing to church work.u will find that life becomes more meaningful
I can't believe this! God surely has worked in our lives!

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14. take care of your nose. it happened to mummy a couple of times in london. don't worry too much but do not aggravate it by excessive digging.
He was referring to my runny nose I think. Sinus. Yea, judging by the last part, do you understand where the nickname "Pokey Bear" comes from now? I WAS STILL YOUNG OK?

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15. my pc was infected by "w32blaster.c.worm" and i had to reformat the hardisk thus losing all my settings like webcam, etc. don't worry i will set them up again
I'm pretty proud of the fact that Daddy's more techie than other fathers. He bought lots and lots of books to learn himself. Oooo. I respect him! (My Dad is relatively alot older than most fathers with daughters my age!)

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16. today is our polling day and F1 day as well. plenty of happenings back here. will the Petronas F1 be aired live in adelaide? hope it would be!
Daddy started watching F1 only after I started LOVING it!

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17. Fashion is relevant locally. U won't stand out like a sore thumb in a crowd or maybe they don't have such big crowds in Adelaide.
I can't believe he had an opinion on fashion considering the fact that he had been wearing the same 'khaki-shirt-old fashioned belt' ensemble for as long as I have lived!

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18. Keep up the hard work and continue to excel in your studies in order to achieve your ambition
Daddy never once said my F1 dream was too far-fetched. Nope. NEVER. Supported me all the way! He told all his friends about it even! I'm the 'daughter who loves F1'.

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Now, for my main reason for this post. LOVE your parents and family. Never take a day for granted. You might consider them 'imperfect' or 'hard to love'. Well, have you looked at the mirror today? How about you? Are you 'perfect' and 'lovable'? Don't think so. (As much as you'd like to deny it). Start loving them today. Don't wait till it's too late. Pray for Him to open a way. Surely there will be a way!

funny engineering inspiration

2008-10-06T22:23:00.004+11:00

Poster generated DIY at www.despair.com and photo by ihtatho.

balik kampung

2008-10-06T14:58:00.005+11:00

KL-Karak Highway on the last days of Hari Raya. In the centre are toll booths, which explains the oasis of space around the centre of the picture (albeit small). I'm glad I'm not in it! Picture courtesy of thestar.com.my

regrets (warning: self-pity coming up!)

2008-10-05T03:11:00.003+11:00

Now that I'm almost at the end of my university life, there's one thing that I regret the most: Not making enough time for friends.

You see, I've always been a loner. Growing up without siblings made me think that I could do life without much friends. I hated 'hanging out'. In fact, we went to the mall together at most twice a year back in high school! We never went to 'mamak' nor did we 'boil porridge on the phone' aka 'talk long long on the phone'. We never went to each other's house to hang out either. You'd think we had the most boring life.

I sort of spent my youth at home playing music, singing, reading, watching tv and sad to say, web surfing. I spent a lot of time with Daddy and Mummy. I enjoyed every bit of it though. Didn't think I was missing out much.

If that was true, why is there now a gnawing feeling that eats me up? I look at others who have close friends in envy sometimes. I wish now that I had really tight pals with whom I could be all the time. But no, I don't. No one ever asks me out to go anywhere (cue: pity 'awww'). No one to 'hang out' with. I sound like a little girl. Sigh. But what am I complaining? I always thought 'hanging out' was a waste of time. Erm, is it? Not so sure anymore.

Making time for friends isn't that hard is it? Moving on to working life, I will have to start from scratch again. Slow building friendships again. I hope I won't make the same mistake.

Rest in peace, Rob

2008-10-02T21:48:00.006+10:00

It's a sad today for musical fans. Rob Guest has unexpectedly died of a stroke at age 57. It's quite a significant age for me, as my dad too, passed away at 57 due to a heart attack. I was just telling a friend today, not to be sad all the time, as we never know when we're going to come to the end of the road. It can happen anytime. So why not live happily?

Back to Rob. My heart fills with sadness, as I came to know about him in the musical, 'Wicked', which tons of you know I'm a huge fan of. He was also famous as Jean Valjean, the leading man in Les Miserables and as the longest acting Phantom from Phantom of the Opera.

He was such a humble, cheerful and easy going man. Even after a hard day's job, he still entertained us fans who were waiting backstage for him. He 'layan' us with autographs, took the time to talk to each of us (genuine conversation). From the little interaction that I had with him backstage, I could tell that he was a really nice gentleman. Here's a quote from the press statement from the production team of Wicked:

“Everyone was very emotional because Rob was such a father figure to the company. WICKED’s cast looked up to him because of his vast experience. Rob Guest was one of Australian music theatre’s biggest stars, and the most easy-going of stars. He may have had top billing but at all times he came across to us – Producers, fellow cast members and backstage crew – as an irrepressible, always cheerful optimist. An all round good bloke. All of us who knew him are shocked and deeply saddened.”

mummy dearest

2008-09-23T03:38:00.007+10:00

I really thank God for Mummy. So what else could a filial daughter do but post embarrassing pictures of her mother? It's all in jest, but I really really am blessed to have her as my Mummy!

worship

2008-09-06T01:42:00.004+10:00

Just came back from OCF today. Can you believe it? I have been in OCF for 5 years, and today was only my third time worship leading! Haha. We have too many talents here. Anyway, what I really want to share is this. What do you say exactly when people give positive comments about your singing/playing during worship? My usual response has always been, "Praise God for that". I meant it in the whole sense, as I really wanted people to know that it was God working within me. However, when to many people tell you that you did a good job, you can't help but to ask God to help you not too draw your happiness from the praises of man. There's a really fine line between self-gratification and giving all the glory to God. I struggle all the time when I serve in worship sessions, as I am a performer at heart, and I love playing and singing as a PERFORMANCE. But when you play in worship, you decrease and let God increase. You play only for an Audience of One. You glorify God. You worship God. Not your talents. I'm constantly thinking when I'm serving in worship, "I'm singing/playing/wearing clothes like this, will I draw people's attention on me and away from God?". Always be very careful, to have all things focussed on Him alone.

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That aside, I also have a problem with people who are too dreamy and over-idealistic. I usually just pour good ol' cold water over their dreams. How cruel is that? Maybe I have just been brought up with extra doses of reality. That aside, I wished I could dream more often, because it kind of lightens up life a bit. Dontcha reckon?
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And if you REALLY want to know, the pump we got for our final year project didn't work as it was fitted with the wrong kind of plug. SIGH. Not that you wanna know. But what you would wanna know is that, our project exhibition will be held in the Adelaide Showground this year! WOOT! Not at the usual Equinox Room in uni. Coolness. I can't wait!

Wicked!

2008-08-25T22:18:00.002+10:00

I enjoyed Wicked: The Musical so much! I wish I could watch it again! Went backstage after the show to get autographs and pictures. The highlights of the show were.....EVERYTHING! Thankfully there was only one understudy, Fiyero, who was supposed to be played by Rob Mills (Aussie Idol guy). The understudy was slightly off but I don't mind. Glinda and Elphaba were perfect to the dot! Anthony Callea was also great as a singer, but his acting was a bit amateurish. Not that I mind.
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Enjoyed the self-declared Melbourne holiday. Back to busy life now.

Munich

2008-08-13T00:24:00.005+10:00

I probably should blog about my trip and not be lazy! People have been asking me "How was the trip?". All I could muster was, "It was great!". Full stop. Where do I start? So let me pen my thoughts here. Today I shall start with Munchen (as Munich is known to the Germans).

It was summer but the temperature floated around the late 'teens. It was difficult getting around as everything was in German! Not a single word of English. Due to miscommunication, me and Mummy had to spend RM350 just on transport to and from the city! Oh how my heart ached!

We roamed the city of Munich on our own. It's a nice place, but 'magnificent' would be pushing it. While in Germany, we discovered that 'Currywurst' is very popular amongst the locals. It's sausages with curry powder (see pic). At first we were disgusted as this wasn't the conventional use of curry powder! Curry powder and tomato sauce were poured generously onto the sausages. I actually liked it. In the pic, you can see a typical German meal. Nothing new there, as we Adelaide dwellers have been exposed to these kinds of food in good ol' Hahndorf. But it was my first time eating meatloaf. *Ahem*. Yours truly had always thought that meatloaf was a variety of bread! Well, in my defence, many westerners get a shock when they hear about 'fish balls' right? The picture with me and my mum was taken in Marienplatz, the main shopping street. Nothing out of the ordinary about the shopping there, except for this magnificent building at the background. My photo did it no justice. Going around Austria and Germany sort of accustomized us with smatterings of 'Guten Tag', 'bitte' and 'danke schon'. Of course, I was initially self-conscious when saying them, as I knew how we Chinese always laughed at the funny attempts of foreigners at speaking Mandarin. On the whole, Munich was mediocre compared to Vienna. But I quite liked it.

Oh yes, one funny incident. About 20 of us on the tour wandered into town on our own one day. We were trying to get cheap train tickets as we were in a big group. However, the ticketing machine was only in German (with a million buttons)! Since there was no one around, when the train came, we asked the driver through his window how we could get tickets. He actually stopped the train, and came down to help us! So 20 of us crowded around him and the ticketing machine, him trying hard to figure out what we wanted and what buttons to press! It was a funny sight. I wish I had a picture of it.

Till the next post on my trip, (that is, if I'm up to it!), Guten Abend!

europe 2008 (click 'view images' for better view)

2008-08-02T23:12:00.010+10:00

Alternatively, click here to view the pics better. I dont' like this slide show here.

new chapter in life.......soon

2008-06-28T17:45:00.002+10:00

Hey all, just a quick update before I leave for KL in a few days' time. Everything's going to move quickly. Of course, I will have to take my final exam on Monday. But come Tuesday, it's "Hello KL! Hello family! Hello food! Hello shopping! And of course, HELLO EUROPE!". Hee hee. I really pray (please pray for me too) that I will pass all my exams.

Amidst the studying, packing, lazing around, spending my last few days with Dennis, I've still maintained my sanity. Dennis got a job in Townsville QLD. (So this will be my last few days with him for the next few months, or until he comes to visit me again). Finally I'm in one of those LDR (Long distance relationships). How scary. Oh yes, I guess I haven't announced that God has faithfully and graciously given me a job at an oil exploration company called Santos! You wouldn't have guessed in a million years that I would be working at an oil company huh. Formula 1 seems more and more distant these days. Maybe Santos would sponsor a race or team in the future? Hehe. I could be based in Adelaide or Brisbane. Everything's pointing to Brisbane, but I hope I will still seek His will and blessing as to where I should be based. Will be starting in February next year.

About the job, it is something that I really need to testify about His providence. I was initially rejected, however was kept in the 'reserve'. About 1.5 weeks later, I was offered a place in their graduate program! How great is He? Something throughout the whole process (felt like Holy Spirit) was telling me 'Through Christ all things are made possible!'. Truly He has proven that! So all glory to God!

Oh Malaysia! So many new malls and restaurants. With my new-found love for sushi and sashimi, I simply cannot wait to get back to those eateries! I've been writing a list of 'to-eat' foods. They include: Madam Kwan's chicken rice, Ramly burger, siew yoke rice, beef noodle near Jalan Alor, Beard Papa's cream puffs, sushi, sashimi, try the much-touted J-Co doughnuts, and eat all the new stuff I've been missing! Sigh, also have to take the IELTS test. Not looking forward to that! Will also make new retainers after wearing mine for the past 7 years. Eww. Hopefully I will also be able to cut my hair and potentially curl them! Hee hee. And of course, SHOPPING!!! I will spend 99% of my time with my mum/family.

And of course, who can forget good ol' Europe! Have been planning since beginning of the year. It will be hot and all 'touristy' this time of the year. But who cares? Will leave KL for Munich (via Amsterdam), then travel to (Nuremburg for awhile) Prague, Budapest and Vienna (and Salzburg briefly). I can't wait! I'm going to have so much fun with my mum! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Ok ok, please pray I pass my exams! A bit scared but let there be peace from God!

Oh yes, I wanna also talk about music. I think this season's got a very good selection of hits. Some of my favs are:

The Galvatrons: When We Were Kids- Sounds like pop from the 80's where you get skinny men playing the synthesizer and guitars in a zombie-like manner. Like, totally, AWESOME. They are actually a bunch of Aussie teens from Melbourne.

The Living End: White Noise - Yet another Melbournian band albeit tons older in age. This song first hit me because as an engineering student, the term white noise means more than just the noise you hear on tv when there's no transmission! Sounds a bit like teenage angst here!

Coldplay: Velvet Hill and Viva la Vida- I can't believe the radio DJs always give them so much crap for Velvet Hill. I think it's a brilliant song. I love Viva la Vida even more. Can't get enough of it. I like it because it's not bubblegum pop about puppy love. Much deeper than that.

Marroon5 feat Rihanna: Never See Your Face Again - The song takes a bit of getting used to. Watching the video would make you love the song even more! Lead singer Adam Levine looks so good in that suit! Hee hee. Mind you, it's the only music video I've seen in the past year I think.

The Ting Tings: Great DJ - Nothing as catchy as a continuous repetition of words! They are an indie duo from the UK.

Nelly feat Fergie: Party People - Again, nothing like a repetition of words to catch your fancy!

Apart from radio hits, I've also been listening to many albums that I had borrowed from the library. One of the best albums produced was India Arie's Testimony Vol 1: Life & Relationship. She's got some sort of belief in a higher power though not necessarily the God that Christians believe in. But this belief system has been the main theme pushing the songs. The songs are all very empowering, as it is a 'break-up' album, meaning if you've just broken up with someone, it's a good album to lift you up.

On the classical front, the violinist Isaac Stern has been on my list for quite some time. It's just a 'best of' album called "Humoresque", includes many popular violin standards. Kinda like my Nigel Kennedy 'Best of' album. Similar song list.

As a run up to my 'Wicked' the musical trip, I've been listening to its soundtrack album. Really GOOD music! I think it measures up, or even better, to Phantom of the Opera (sorry Andrew Lloyd Webber!). Oh I feel like a traitor. And try listening to Lily Allen's debut album. Although the lyrics should be rated PG, the music is really good as her genre is more to ska, perhaps infused with some pop seasoning.

God answers prayers

2008-06-16T17:56:00.003+10:00

Everyday in my life, I know more and more that God loves you and me despite our inadequacies. I really thank God for my mum who prays fervently for me. Few years ago, I wouldn't have imagined in my wildest dreams that she would come to know Him and find so much joy in Him as she is doing now. As recent as four years ago, my mum was easily burning papers to idols and being superstitious about mundane things. She was living life in chains, though totally oblivious to it. It is by His saving grace that she, and my dad (just before he passed away) came to know Christ as their Saviour. There is a world of a difference now about how mummy looks at life. Almost everyday, she tells me to trust in God, and draw our strength from Him. She reminds me the importance of prayer and trust in God that He provides. I'm just flabbergasted, and feel so blessed that mummy loves the Lord and knows that God loves her so much more!

Carl Risely!

2008-05-29T21:15:00.003+10:00

Kristen, Betty and I went to see Carl Risely last night. For those not in the know, he's the 3rd place Aussie Idol winner. He sings ala 'Michael Buble' and Frank Sinatra. Jazz/swing style. It was nice seeing him in person, he has improved a lot! It was a great show, it was also the first leg of his Australian tour. We girls agreed that his saxophonist was very cute, looked a bit like Jude Law. I think his name is Mike Stewart. Hee hee. But his double bassist, a girl, was very 'emo' and never ever smiled. She looked like she could kill you with her stare. She didn't seem to enjoy playing. Sigh. Let ME take her place! Too bad I can't play...all of us got to take pictures with him and get his autograph! Kristen had her ipod signed.

mandy, annie, carol, delilah, jude, laura......

2008-05-24T18:07:00.005+10:00

....adding one more to the list....
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JANICE!
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Yup, those female names have been immortalized in pop history. Now, adding one more to the list, MY NAME! Yay! This makes up for the times that I couldn't find key chains or mugs with my name on it. The next best thing for myself was always the merchandise labeled 'girl'. Yea. All those times feeling left out, now I'm back with a vengeance!
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I finally found a song with my name in it! And it's by Guy Sebastian. I jumped from my chair when I was listening to his CD (Closer to the Sun) and heard my name! MY NAME! TAKE THAT!
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The problem is...well, let the lyrics speak for itself:
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/guysebastian/boyfriend.html

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ps: Thank you Lord that now Myanmar has opened its gates to foreign aid!

sometimes politicians are just %^&#%

2008-05-18T00:36:00.004+10:00

Sigh. Sorry Dennis. I just don't like politicians sometimes. (Not that he reads my blog anyway, yes he wants to be one of them).

I'm referring to the military Junta in Myanmar. This past two weeks they've been making my blood boil with fury. I feel like taking them by the neck and shake off all that selfish pride. When millions of people are in devastation, you DON'T keep your interests a priority. You put your PEOPLE first!

No wonder other countries are giving them a mere few million dollars as aid. They don't trust Myanmar! To claim that they can handle the crisis themselves? 'Guarantee' that no one is without help? To say that the French aid ship is a WAR SHIP? To confiscate aid, only to distribute them in a small areas and label the boxes with YOUR name on it?

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please pray for them, pray for the government, pray for visas to be given out, pray for God's name to be lifted high in this mess.

engineering inspiration

2008-05-05T22:02:00.005+10:00

Ever since I was in my teens, I had always revered Colin Chapman, one of (possibly the one) the most innovative engineers in the 58-year history of Formula One. Mind you, Formula One engineers are like the creme de la creme of the lot. But this guy's special. It's really unfortunate that he passed away young at 52 due to heart attack. But really, this guy's revolutionized lots of concepts that later changed the face modern day automotive technology. He's been gone for 26 years, and yet his technological footprints are everywhere. Probably even in your car!

He's the brains behind active suspension, the F1 car monocoque and ground effect in F1, to name just a few. His work in ground effect affected me the most, as it was one of the things that made me aspire to be an aerodynamicist...though not anymore! F1 is the way it is today because this man introduced aerodynamics into the sport. It's not just a sport. It's science.

Another mechanical engineer that had inspired me when I was younger, was this LADY (!!) called Dr. Antonia Terzi. Her PhD was in aerodynamics. She probably doesn't realize she's an inspiration to another young girl half way across the world! Antonia was a young lady when she was the HEAD aerodynamicist at William F1. Currently she works in a German (I think) university. Too bad she's not in F1 anymore.

Another figure in F1 that inspired me was Ron Dennis, the cool-headed boss of McLaren. Reading about him and his professionalism truly astounded me and spurred me to become as good as he is. People often mistake his calmness for hostility. But yes, I respect him for who he is the past many years of him being in this cut-throat world of F1.

Nah, I suddenly was reminiscing about my F1-crazy days back in my teenage years. Triggered by a research I had to do for active suspensions. Formula 1 has really shaped me to become who I am today and has probably determined the rest of my life by pulling me into engineering. Though whether or not I will make a good one, that's another story!!

ps: If you've got cash to spare, please get me Colin Chapman's biography written by Mike Lawrence. It's about AUD100!! Thanks!

anthology of 'stuff' with pictures at the end!

2008-04-22T18:34:00.010+10:00

I am officially an internet 'don't care' now. I rarely blog, hardly use MSN and I only check e-mails. Oh no! Is that a sign of age? Boo hoo. Anyway here's a collection of 'stuff' that's been happening in my life the past month or two. At the bottom are pictures. Starting from the most recent:

walk to king william road/unley road

Having eaten 8 chicken nuggets for lunch, while watching one of Oprah's health episodes, kind of forced me to go 'walk it off'. Mind you, I'm not an exercise freak nor do I usually 'walk' things off. I'm a firm believer of the 'just eat lah' principle. Anyway, so I decided to walk out without my staple cream/lip balm (without which I'd usually die), money or mobile phone. Once outside the house, I decided, 'Why not go the extra few miles and go to King William Road?'. I've always wanted to go there to see the really nice shops which slightly resemble Brunswick St in Melbourne. I walked 2.5 hours today! Beautiful weather. Lo and behold, I found shops similar to those in Brunswick St! I was so happy! I even found those beautiful stationery lines that I discovered in Zetta Florence in Melboune. You should go here and see. They stock things from Cavallini. In summary, forget Rundle, Marion or Harbour Town. Come here instead!

carl risely

Woot! As Kristen and I have vowed, we will go see Carl Risely (from Australian Idol aka 'guy who sings like Michael Buble') when he comes to Adelaide to perform! Hoping to drag Amanda along too! He'll be performing at the Governor Hindmarsh in May!

david tao

Been trying to learn this via youtube. Love this song. A bit hard for me though. Need practice! But then again, I'm a practice freak.

make up

Yea you read that right. You have Poh Jeann to blame. Me, who couldn't even tell an eye-liner from a mascara, is now slightly interested in MAKE UP. Yes, the M-word! It's so embarrassing because up to few weeks ago, I could NEVER remember what mascaras were for!

job

Hopefully I'll be more rajin in applying for more jobs. Been going to Santos for interview/test. Still waiting for the result. But I thank God for the opportunity to even be given a chance for an interview there! Now I just pray that I can get a job there! Please keep me in prayer!

pink detox

I had an epiphany. More like two epiphanies. I suddenly realised that I had too much pink on! Sometimes I find myself draped in pink from head to toe. Brrrr! I think I might be slowly switching to the 'old people' colours like black and gray. Hehe. So yes, I'm trying to ween myself from pink now.

poh jeann's visit from Malaysia

I wasn't as free as I thought I would be. I couldn't really bring her out as often as I had wanted to. But her being here was a blessing as she could see my ups and downs and was there to encourage, advice and guide me. I wasn't the best friend I could be I think. But I thank God she came anyway. She's really a hard to find gem of a friend.

meeting the PARENTS!

Yes, on the day of my first ever job interview was also my first time meeting Dennis' parents! It was also his graduation day. Talk about a day of milestones! They were nice to me, and I hope I didn't embarrass myself or say wrong things!

Easter Camp OCF South Australia

Honestly, I'm not a camp person, as I don't like insects crawling around, not sleeping in my own bed and the fatigue/sickness that comes with camps. However, each year, the camps seem to get better and BETTER! It was an awesome camp this year, and God is always faithful in providing, no matter how good or bad we fare ourselves. Nothing can stop the work of God if it is really for Him. My bible study group was really close, and there was some good/personal sharing. Was really touched when we shared about our own fathers. When I listened to everyone's stories of how their parents had sacrificed for them, tears welled up as I tried to comprehend how much more our Father's love for us is. If our parents can love us that much, undeniably our Father in heaven loves us infinitely so much more that we cannot fathom. That just blew me away.

pictures!!

Exciting times!

2008-03-25T23:03:00.002+11:00

I almost forgot the web address of Blogspot! That momentary forgetfulness stems from my infrequent blogging these days. While I'm on a break from my homework, let me just update you on what's been happening! It will be interesting I promise.
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Easter Break
I attended Victoria OCF's Easter Camp! Esther and I went down there, hoping to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ. I really thank God for the wonderful hospitality that we received down there. They were really encouraging and inspiring. I didn't come back empty-handed (spiritually-wise). I thank God for the prayers that went with us in this trip as well as His grace that carried us through. Even with our inadequacies, He wanted to use us in His work. How wonderful is that? I even finally got to eat my favourite Beard Papa cream puffs in Melbourne! Yay! It was freezing cold there though, I came back with a cold.
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Mid-semester Break
My buddy from KL is coming in April for about 2 weeks to visit me! Yay! It's about time! We're going to have so much fun!
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July Break
My mum and I are going to Eastern Europe! WOOT! (ok got a bit nerdy there). Will be going to Prague, Vienna, Munich and Budapest. It's where my mum had always wanted to go. It will be my birthday present to her for her 60th this year! (Oh my, did I just reveal my mum's age on the world wide web! Yikes! Don't tell her!) My Mum's really young at heart. She doesn't look a day older than 45. (Hope that repairs the damage!). It's from the money I earned from vacation work. I'm flat broke now. It's now or never, as I will be working soon and finding time for holidays will be hard. Plus my WONDERFUL Mummy deserves it!
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Righto, back to work now!

my dream career

2008-03-15T22:53:00.004+11:00

What's your pressure/stress threshold? As I reflect today on what's on my plate, I realised that it's, well, tons. I'm surprised I never realised it earlier! Just a thought...

Have you any passion that makes life a tad nicer to live for? Remember how for years I had dreamt of being an F1 engineer? FYI, it's not my dream anymore, although I will attempt to follow it more closely this year. Right now, I'm treading along the lines of designing products for children or the disabled. Not too sure but how else can I combine my love for children and engineering? Engineer children? Haha. Make sure the little babies are safe in their little pink car seats or that the cots won't break if their little teenie weenie feet ever whacked it!

It's my final year of education. Ever. It's terribly intimidating to face the end of my academic life. Away from work, I would really like to be involved in the arts, just to paint a bit of colour in my would-be adult life. I wish I could sing in a musical, (I can't act though), or maybe brush up on my piano and give a concert! WOW. I miss performing so much. Maybe be in a rock band, or choir. Whatever it may be, it will have to do with the arts. I bet you didn't know my parents (yes, my Asian/Chinese parents!) had wanted me to be a lounge pianist/composer when I grew up. Not exactly the typical doctor/lawyer/engineer aspirations huh? They thought it would be an easy/fun life for me! Hehe.

No regrets today about where I am today, and where I'm heading towards in life. I know God has planned out wondrous plans for me and I can't wait to live out the life He has for me!

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
AMEN!