wovenart

2010-11-13T01:40:00.001+08:00

.frustration.anger.disappointment.

2009-06-08T21:13:00.003+08:00

don't wanna be me

lonely path

2009-03-22T21:55:00.003+09:00

Pilgrimage, as I was told today, is a journey with a holy intent. The thought that struck me after hearing that was "How intentional is my life right now?"

2 decades of going through motions, some set by parents while others, by chance. Of course, God had a hand in all these but I don't think I can say if any of them are done with an outright purpose. It feels akin to being drifted by the currents of life. What would it be like to live, drawing every breathe with a purpose? To go against the currents once in a while?

Barely an hour after I inch through this new door, I had my answer. A conversation reminded me that not many will join, understand or support me, not even the closest people in my life. It's as though God is looking down and asking, This is only just the first taste of what it'll be like. Are you sure?

Yes God. I'm scared but
I don't think I can live any
other way anymore.

No one who has left home or wife or brothers
or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God
will fail to receive many times as much in this age and,
in the age to come, eternal life

Luke 18:29-30

blurry past

2009-02-28T12:22:00.002+09:00

Hmm...the first post of the year. Been trying to think of what happened in the last few months. Nothing significant came up. There was someone's wedding, then Christmas, followed by New Year and ended with Chinese New Year.

Tried to look for pictures to post when it dawned on me that I haven't used my camera at all this year. Just imagine, years down the road, and when I think of my 20's, it'll just be one big blur since I left no 'timestamps' whatsoever.

Maybe I should just join Yun in her project 365 afterall. Taking pictures will be the easy part, posting them is the hard one.

Now, where's my camera.....?

break of silence

2008-12-04T23:06:00.003+09:00

A belated announcement: As of 11 Nov, yours truly is officially a PR of the Great Southland.

Some pictures from a recent trip down south.

First meal (not mine though)

Some beach which name I can't remember

Sunset

Some random garden shop. Love the veggies.

hidden delights

2008-10-09T23:09:00.002+08:00

It was a friend's birthday yestday and since we weren't able to celebrate it on the actual day, I brought him out for lunch today instead. For once, I was actually able to do some proper cafe/restaurant research and pick wisely. Well, it only had one criteria - within 5 mins walk from my office. Heh, that actually meant a 10-15 mins walk for my friend but too bad, all the nice cafes and restaurants are down my end of the city.

Well, my pick of the day is tiger tiger coffee bar. Yes, the name sounds weird. It was supposedly just one street away from me and I had no idea that it even existed. It was reviewed AGES ago by abstract gourmet. Oh..and if you notice, the picture above was taken from them too. Too bad, I did not take a picture of what the outside of the cafe actually looked like. The cafes in a small lane with odd combinations of tables and chairs arranged around the lane and chillout music playing. The moment I stepped into the lane, I thought I stepped into another world that was far far away from Perth city. The coffee was great but food was just alright. I'm not sure if it's due to a heavy lunch crowd which may be the case sometimes but I'm still willing to return just for the coffee and ambience.

The whole experience got me surfing the net to try and discover more of Perth's treasures. I found this blog with a map of coffee places in Western Australia. I'm definitely going to try these places out if I have the chance. Not that I'm mad about coffee but good coffee means nice cafes and I absolutely love cafes. Ooh...I can't wait!

All these browsing made me stumble upon fashion sites too. Apparently there's a lot of nice lil shops in Perth featuring local designers as well as those gathered from all around the world. Rare but super expensive stuff. And these shops are located in areas that I frequent. Just makes me wonder, have I been walking around here blindfolded for the past 6 years? Anyway, I reckon it's the whole spring thing getting to me. I am planning to get myself a spring dress and another pair of non-black work shoes. Wish me luck..

muscle ache

2008-10-05T22:54:00.003+08:00

Lately I've been having consistent muscle aches. Let's see, Tuesday = squash, Thursday = dance lessons (which is in actual fact half an hour of INTENSE stretching) and Saturday = rock climbing. Well, there's only 4 more dance lessons. I seriously think that their main objective is to get you to stretch till you can do splits.

Anyway, rock climbing is a once off. A friend wanted to try and I thought, why not? Yes, I have a mild ok, not mild...nasty cuts closer to the truth fear of heights. In fact, I've never been able to climb to the top of a ladder before. The first climb was the scariest ever. The feeling of being up there, not having the strength to go up, nor have the guts to go down, is the worst ever. Is it still called fear of heights if I can still climb to very high up and look down without shaking? The fear only crept in when I felt totally helpless not being in control and out in the open.

All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players

~William Shakespeare

Players. That's what we are. Everyone has played many different roles at the same time. A daughter, a friend, a sister, an acquaintance, a stranger etc. How well do we know the responsiblity and boundaries of my role? Some are naturals, they know precisely when and what they can or cannot do. Others are still fumbling around in a tiny cage we built for ourselves ensuring that we'll never step over any boundaries. I just discovered that I'm the latter, not even shining in a single role. Forever fearing the boundaries and staying in the cage.

Sigh.

memory flood

2008-09-26T22:41:00.002+08:00

Some memories that are subconsciously locked away with the key thrown into nothingness while some are left wide open for exploration. Just as you let your guard down, something triggers one of those locked doors and the memories come flooding in.

I had one of those moments just this morning while waiting for my bus. Was reminiscing the days of schoolbuses and the silly things that happened during my childhood. Before I know it, the associating mind started thinking of my nanny. The memory of her jerked back tears. Been so long since I've thought of her. 7 years now, I never thought it'll still affect me so to recall. But at least I can finally look back without the buckets of tears and say, I still miss her.

Coincidentally, I was having lunch at my desk today while reading Metrodad's blog and his latest post was a letter written to a friend who passed away on 9/11. The next post was another touching one about the family coping with the aftermath of his father-in-law's passing away.

Feels like someone is betting really hard for me to cry today. Poor thing must have lost really badly.

a prick

2008-09-22T22:41:00.003+08:00

Used to think that people who doesn't appreciate what they have are pricks.

Turns out that I'm the biggest prick of all...

lazy saturday

2008-09-20T22:36:00.002+08:00

It's one of my habits to look up to this particular group of trees as I get on or off the bus. The last I saw them, one week ago, they were still bald. Really loved the sight of balding and shedding trees. Since I've been driving to another client's office most of this week, I haven't seen how Spring has slowly caught up with the trees. Looked up yesterday and the leaves were already growing back. Sigh, another six months till I get to see my favourite trees again.

Funny thing happened to me at the bus stop today. Saturdays are really quite compared to the weekdays, hardly any cars or anyone at all in the streets. I was reading while waiting for the bus to arrive. Halfway reading, I heard this car stop in front of me and as I look up, I see this aussie guy (there were two of them in the car) asking, "Going to Perth? We're heading there too." I politely denied the offer twice and off they drove. Don't get me wrong, I'm not finding it amusing cause someone tried to literally pick me up and neither am I getting a big head about my looks. Thing is, I've been here for 6 years, and this is the first time something this odd happened to me when other people might have had a few experiences already.

Anyway, my conclusion about the incident is that I probably look like some japanese tourist who's new to town and the guys were just trying their luck. I do wonder though what really happens to gals who're innocent enough to hop on the car. Hmmm....

The day ended with a movie, Atonement. I've been wanting to read the book for quite a while now. After the movie, I am SO GLAD I didn't. I would have cried buckets and be depressed for possibly longer than I normally would after finishing a book. A little lie can go a loooooooong way.

random stuff

2008-09-16T23:11:00.003+08:00

Spring is here. Winter doesn't seem to happy about Spring's arrival. They've been fighting with each other every day. Today may be sunny, tomorrow it'll be very windy with intermitent rains and cloudy the next, so on so forth. I wish they would just decide on the winner soon. It's really tiring deciding on work clothes with such indecisive weather.

Just like the weather, my emotions are going on some rollercoaster ride. I'm cheerful on rainy days and I sink into the slums on sunny days. Don't ask me why. I have no idea.

Oh...I realised one thing the other day. IT guys scare women away. Well, not literally. I am based on the client's office and I'm seated in the same section as these guys. Every lady with a need for IT person will walk towards me first. You can see the hope in their eyes when they ask, "Are you in the IT team?" Anyone can easily see that I'm not part of the IT team cause I don't have one of those headsets they wear (ooh, I really want one of those headsets. Does that mean I'm a dork?) yet they approach me anyway.

boxed

2008-08-27T23:55:00.002+08:00

Had an epiphany on my way home today: my life is governed by lots of unspoken rules which has at times, suffocate me. After 20 mins of pondering, I can only conclude that it was the combination result of my upbringing and personal nature to never question. 23 years of my life have been robbed by rigidity. I pray that number will stop increase.

Some of my silly rules:-
1. Never call without reason
2. Justify every purchase
3. Never turn up to a place/event/outing/meal without an invitation
4. One big holiday per year
5. Never leave home without a destination
6. Blend with the majority
7. Be accomodating even if I hate it
8. Don't bother people with silly, brainless conversations

shopping woes

2008-08-05T00:36:00.003+08:00

If there's ever hallmark for shopping disasters, this trip is close to being one. I spent close to 6 hours at the mall today and I did not bought a single item on my list. Yes, I did make a list prior to the trip cause I know just how bad my memory is of my needs back in Perth the moment I step onto Malaysian soil.

Now I really do wonder if the list was a smart choice at all. For one, it is adding some unnecessary stress to the whole trip. There's a mission with every outing and it seems that the whole fashion industry is all out to deter me from ever achieving that. I admit I exaggerated but it can't be helped when all the tops seem to be designed for two sizes bigger than what it says while nice designs seem to have super thin flimsy material or just way too long.

I can only hope and pray that the next few days will prove me wrong.

the answer

2008-07-20T22:01:00.001+08:00

And God said:

It is done.

gloomy rainbow post

2008-07-18T23:08:00.002+08:00

The peak of the winter just made its entrance this week. Rain and Storm seem to be running a relay race. It's not all cold and windy and freezing. For the past few days, I've been greeted by rainbows as I step out of my house. Something other than the chill to refresh me before the start of a day.

***********************************
That's all to the 'chirpy' part of this post.
Be warn

***********************************

4 words: Family, Hurts, Hopes, Disappointments.
For a while now, I've been nursing a secret fantasy of having an entirely different family. A family who expresses their feelings and communicates. Family that I can be myself around. Family I can talk to at any time without fear of being ridiculed. An intimacy that brands us as a family rather than just having similar DNA characteristics flowing through our veins.

And for a while now, I've recognized how impossible this fantasy is or rather, how painful a process it would be to make it come true and what small time frame I have to work in before it becomes a point of no return. The fantasy is killing me very slowly on the inside. The fantasy turned into some kinda of expectation and no one meets it. The most horrific truth is, I fall short of that expectation myself and it is that very fact which disappointments me the most.

It is particularly straining on my relationship with my mom. As much as I want to befriend her, I react to her through all the past disappointments I've encountered. Sounds very unforgiving isn't it? I know I've built up walls even before there's a need for them. Any sign leading to the path of disappointment or anger and immediately the wall is up. Every time I hear the hurt in her voice from my responses, something in me breaks too. And the whole cycle of hoping, trying and disappointing begins again. It's a painful love-hate relationship.

God, I really really can't handle this anymore. Again and again I've asked to forgive and release all the emotional burdens in me. Again and again, I feel the anger and disappointments. Father, only You, Your love, Your strength, can carry me through this. You've called us to be victors. Lord, I believe that You will help me breakthrough this. Just be gentle with my heart in this process of breaking and moulding please. As the Word says, You are my shield surrounding me. You are my glory. You are the lifter of my chin. With this post, Lord, I lay the matter at rest in Your ever able hands. With Your strength, I will try my best and I know, You will never deny me Your best. And I thank You very much for that.

Amen

Squash

2008-07-15T23:48:00.002+08:00

What was supposed to be a less than one hour exercise turned out to be nearly two hours. Had my second game of squash in my entire life just a while ago. My whole body is aching so much that I am now confined to bed with minimum movement.

Did you know?
Squash balls have to be warmed up first and there are various kinds of balls with different degrees of bounciness - blue up to double yellow. My very dear friend was very NICE to start me off on a double yellow. For a while, before I was exposed to this info about squash balls, I thought that I must have very weak hands. My hits were barely making it to the lines.

And did you know?
Squash is a game you definitely do NOT want to play alone when you're angry/frustrated but it's definitely the game to do so if you have a partner. This game has no notion for grace. It's the "an eye for an eye" theory that reigns.

And something I realised about my work life today. I do not find any satisfaction in being the person to discover a source of an IT problem but not being able to solve it. In fact, I rather hate billing the clients for the time I use to investigate the issue when I did nothing to solve it. Of course, there's the argument that I bring it a step closer to being solved but the end point is...to me at least....that the issue remains not solved and it irks me so SO MUCH!

first and last

2008-06-30T23:33:00.003+08:00

First
informal review from my director. One knows now to expect this impromptu "catchup" meeting after a long absence from his supervision. Sudden as it was, it was all good. Only positive remarks from my seniors have reached him so far. One can only pray that it remains this way.

leave approval. I was stressed out the previous week about plans to return to base in august. At least I'm one step nearer. Praying hard that the immigration will approve of me disappearing from the country for 10 days. Ah....red tape..they're everywhere!

*****************************************************************
Edit: Visa was approved for 3 months multiple travels out of Australia.
Praise God!!!
*****************************************************************

sign on to a phone contract which rewarded me with a new Nokia 6500. I chose the black instead of the silver one. Doesn't anyone get reminded of something just by looking at the silver stainless steel finish? Enough said. I forgot the rationalization behind this sudden change of service providers. It was along the lines of more worth for my money and saving which I definitely HOPE so. 2 hours after the deed was carried out, I realised that I just signed myself to being in Aus for another 2 years. Something that eluded the entire thought process over the whole issue.

Last
day of staying alone. A month of ~~being a hermit~~ living on my own has stirred up lots of internal debates. A whole new light was shed on the terms temporary, permanent and eternity. Finally came to a conclusion that it's all a matter of perspective afterall. The most recent disturbing thought was about routines. Life being part of a big routine and how humans, well..I, can be so thoroughly upset when a small ripple appears in it.

Companionship. Makes a huge difference. The phrase "How are you?" is so common yet so powerful when sincerely delivered. It marks the significance of one's life to another. Isn't it the silent cry of our souls to be noticed and acknowledged? Or can people really live their lives without a heed for others? But what then is the point of living if it's just for the sake of living?

Ah, I digressed. Welcome to an intro to some of the results of my hyperactive neuron activities.

Silent Answers

2008-06-06T23:02:00.002+08:00

There are a few things I dread when I'm alone. Grocery shopping for one. I never really did grocery shopping until I came over to Australia but somehow I always felt that it's one activity that should be done with family or the household. Maybe it's cause everyone else seem to come along with their family members or housemates. No doubt, shopping alone is definitely more efficient and possibly cost saving too.

Next thing would be weekends alone. I have this bad habit of comparing with others. It's an unconscious habit...really. So, what happens is that I imagine everyone around me having some sort of plans to spend their weekend with family and friends. Movies, gatherings, game nights, the works. I've been wondering the whole day yesterday and today what I should be doing on a Friday night (tonight). See, Friday nights are rather precious cause shops in the city closes at 9pm instead of 5pm. My initial plan was to walk around for a bit, grab a light dinner somewhere and return to a dark, empty and cold house (another one of my dreads).

God must have had other plans. During lunchtime, I found out that a colleague initiated a dinner plan and everyone was invited. It turned out to be very enjoyable. Till this day, one month after joining the company, I am still amazed at how everyone is a friend rather than just being a workmate. Even with the different backgrounds, they seem to fit in perfectly. One of my main concerns when I decided to remain in Perth was how do I fit into the local community. Just as I was wondering if this land can ever be home, God has moved on ahead to prepare this job for me in more ways than I could ever imagine.

Thank You Lord for Your daily delights
You have prepared the net to catch me even before I fall
As I uncover the path ahead of me, I ask nothing more than Your company
Even when things go haywire, strengthen me that I may say, "It is well with my soul"

clean pool & the holiday

2008-06-03T22:30:00.003+08:00

Found this super brightly litted cafe last Friday that has 2 pool tables at the back. Best thing about it is it's a smoke and alcohol free venue. Besides, with the gazillions of light bulbs around, (i'm really not exaggerating) you can hardly do anything dodgy in there. I don't think I'll mind it even if it serves alcohol but smoke, I really can't stand.

Apparently, there's a bill (law? policy?) being pushed at the moment for public areas, including the city and cars with kids to be declared smoke free areas. Can't wait for that to happen. I guess I can't complain, since this is still way better than KL. But hey, an improvement is always welcomed. =)

It was a public holiday yesterday. I remembered coming home on Friday feeling exactly the same way I would on the last day of uni before a long break. Never thought that one extra day to the weekend would have such an impact. It'll be a long haul before the next public holiday arrives. Someone mentioned that the next one is in October... =( so farrrrrr!!

24 precious hours spent lazing around at home, watching shows online. I did a fast and furious movie marathon during the weekend. Interesting fact: Did you know that the extras in the first movie were all REAL street racers who brought their own cars to the set? I certainly didn't. I really thought that it was just an exaggerated show but it is an actual representation of the racing culture. Even the Race Wars in the dessert...the extras were only doing what they normally do. The whole movie was inspired by an article written about a street racer and his world.

Yes..ahem....I did read the whole article. Things you do...when there's nothing better to do being home alone. I'm currently eyeing an old game, Baldur's Gate. Intending to get it when I have the time. 30bucks for the original game and 3 expansion packs. Hopefully there's still some in the shop when I can finally make it down on Friday. Sigh..thus is the life of a working person here. Can never shop after work unless your office is next to the shopping area.

Resting

2008-05-28T09:31:00.004+08:00

It's my 3rd week into my working life. After 2 days of battling the flu bug, my body finally holds up the white flag. Hence, the sick leave today. The internet is my best buddy when I'm confined to bed. Spent the past 2 hours blog surfing. The number of new posts just signifies how long my absence has been from the internet.

Come to think of it, I haven't been that busy since I started work. In fact, I have more time in my hands. That's just cause I start late, leaving home about 8.30am and get home early, generally home by 6pm if not earlier. Life in between those times are pretty routine; cook, eat, cleanup, surf the net for animes, read, sleep.

I spent the last 2 weekends hunting for work stuff. I thought I was pretty well prepared for work from my shopping in KL and SG. Boy, am I wrong. I needed more pants, jackets, shoes and plain tops. Heh, that's pretty much everything you'll need for work. After burning a big hole in my ~~wallet~~ purse and some leg muscle building, I've managed to get nearly everything but the jacket. Will take some time to mend that hole.

Btw, thanks to the faithful 4 who still visits the blog, the poll results are as follows:

2 for TV + foxtel
1 for ps3
1 for ipod touch.
=)

The fact that I have no idea where to get the best bargains for electronics or household items is a glaring reminder that this is not home. They're so expensive here!! At least the places I've been looking at seems to be rather expensive. I may just resort to playing online games for a while. Just installed Civilisation IV the other day. What next?

Coming up: a month of alone-ness. (note: alone-ness does not equal loneliness)

Shopping Poll

2008-05-19T23:48:00.006+08:00

Been having an urge to get something that'll at least keep me occupied even if I'm alone at home. Basically something that'll give me the feeling that I'm home home when I'm home.

work - 1st day

2008-05-13T21:32:00.002+08:00

Was my 1st day at work yesterday. One less item out of the first-timers list. It wasn't too bad really. Most of the day was spent going through the induction modules. Got escorted out to buy lunch. That was definitely a first. My previous 'first day's during my internships were all spent alone, without anyone to talk to. People here all have their lunch, whether bought or brought from home, together.

All in all, I think I've been pretty blessed with this soft landing into the working world. Nice working environment and good mentors around. One amusing thing I found is that instead of running to the techy guy in the company, everyone's a techy here. Can you imagine your boss trying to fix your com for you? I can. He just did.

3 months later

2008-04-25T21:11:00.003+08:00

Finally.....

Sucked In

2008-04-24T11:55:00.002+08:00

signing up for the rat race literally

Life

2008-04-21T01:16:00.011+08:00

::Love is a gift::
::Family love is a type of love::
::Giving is an act::
::Action requires decision::

4 statements I failed to connect.

***

Desperately in need of focus and motivation.

Practice shots

2008-04-14T19:14:00.002+08:00

Some shots I took on my photography outings:

Easter weekend

2008-03-23T22:34:00.003+09:00

Time of the year to return to the starting point of my faith again. Strangely enough, although it has been nearly a decade since I started believing, the real significance of Easter only impacted me this year.

On Good Friday 2000 years ago, a group of disciples lost all hope an faith as they witnessed the death of their long awaited King. Saturday would have been the bleakest day for them as it dawned upon them the meaning of the events up till then. Surprise awaited them on Sunday morning as news of Jesus' resurrection cracks open the window of hope for them again. When the subject in question appeared before each of them, their faith rocketed sky high giving birth to the beginnings of our churches today.

A simple story, simple enough that I do sometimes treat it as a story rather than a true occurrence of the past. The most glaring revelation of this weekend is the fact that every sin I've committed so far, and every one that I will ever commit, has driven the nails further into the cross, drawing more blood from Him. For by His blood, my sins are washed away.

FAQs

2008-03-14T02:56:00.004+09:00

Am I working yet?
No.

Has there been any replies or interviews?
Not really.

Have I been looking hard and sending out gazillions of resumes?
Not that hard. Probably about 10 or so resumes sent out. More to come..don't worry.

How's everything going with my PR?
Form's been submitted. I am not in danger of being deported.

What have I been doing every day?
1. Answering these questions from every other person.
2. Pestering the immigration department every now and then to clarify things on my application.
3. Checking out companies and job prospects. Applied for some every now and then.
4. Meeting up with friends.
5. Enjoying being home and trying out recipes.
6. Looking for professional pictures online and downloading those I like. (The pictures at the start of my posts are from the collection) Ooh...I'm going on a photoshoot outing tomorrow! Excited..I borrowed a Nikon 5700 Coolpix to play with. Shall have my first unofficial lesson tomorrow.
7. Looking up online tutorials for interesting stuff. e.g. .Net programming etc etc.

What are my plans?
I shall enjoy this journey till something comes up. It's been fun and slightly frustrating at times but fun nonetheless. I am looking for casual jobs around...concentrating more on hospitality and customer service sort of work. All the things that I've never viewed myself capable of. I just felt a sudden need to be pushed out of my comfort zone and let God develop some other part of my character I've never realised was there before. Besides, it'll be rather fun to work without any major responsibilities looming over you. e.g blasting the operation of a gas plant because of a wrong component you put in there....

Even if I end up not doing any casual jobs before I land myself a job with my degree, it would have been worth it. The search in itself scares me half to death. I have a fear of approaching or being around strangers. I guess it's the opposite of being claustrophobic in some ways. I do not like being out alone in the open with strangers around me. Over the years that I've been here, God has helped me overcome most of it. Now, my fear is more on the job search, walking up into cafes and such asking for jobs and having people really look at you and evaluate if you're even worth their time.

It's not easy but I had friends around me when I did it the first few times. Today I did it when I was alone. People are not that scary after all. I prayed for no customers around the counter before I enter the shops and God gave me just that. *smiles widely*

Keep me in your prayers. God will give me the right job at the right time. I'm keeping myself productive at the moment. Volunteered myself for something. Quite excited about the outcomes of it. =)

domesticated

2008-02-24T01:12:00.002+09:00

Buy of the week:

Point of attraction:

100 FAST DINNERS

adapting

2008-02-21T20:32:00.004+09:00

The fact that today's the last day of Chinese New Year has nearly eluded me in this country of the whites. Back for 4 days, same with the total number or friends/family I've met so far: there's bro, housemate and 2 friends. Not that either fact affects me much.

It still feels surreal to be here, the room I've moved in to 2 weeks before I left. Having said that though, picking up the life I left behind is a nerve short of a reflex. Banking, grocery shopping, cleaning and more cleaning, (I did just moved in) cooking my own meals. The basic ingredients of a normal adult life that were overpowered by a more pungent element for the past 2 months: home or mom

Job search hasn't progress a single bit since I arrived. No responses from the previous applications and no new ones sent out either. Nay, I haven't been bumming. Decided that there's better prospects of getting a job if I apply after I've sent in my PR application which...can only be done about 2 weeks later due to various reasons. This period of waiting is a frustrating and restless one. Accompanied by lots of loving words of concern regarding the diminishing employment rate for international graduates applying for PR. Seeing/Hearing about others getting employed almost immediately out of school adds salt to the situation.

Nonetheless, this is not a competition. No need for a capability showcase. Just some faith stretching. It's not all bad. Documents needed for the PR application are going smoothly so far. Job will come soon after. Blessed with parents who can support me through this time. So, I find this precious commodity, Time in my hands, looking me in the eye wondering its fate. Curious?

Just WAIT.

home?

2008-02-18T20:30:00.000+09:00

Just got off the plane about 2 hours ago. The flight was delayed by 30 mins because someone's booze was not delivered to the gate (what the!?!!!?!?) and by a further 30 mins due to unfavorable wind direction. ='(

Got passed the immigration counter in a matter of less than 10 mins after exiting the plane but spent a good half an hour or so waiting for my bag. It's times like this that I get put off about having an early check-in. Seriously....what's the point when people who checks-in late ends up getting their baggage earlier and leave earlier?

It actually feels slightly odd to be back. I could barely recognize the road names. Maybe it's just part of being sleepy, tired and annoyed with the journey back. Maybe not. *shrugs*

Oh...did I mention that I took the Airbus A330 and they had NO personal inflight entertainment unit? Yeap, no video screen in front of me and worst still, I didn't manage to get myself a book at the airport because I did not walk pass the dfs area. Whole experience definitely makes an iPod and/or a PSP rather attractive.

Jan Trips Part I

2008-02-12T14:30:00.000+09:00

*edit: I started this post when I just returned from my travels. Today's news about the attack on East Timor's president reminded me of the time I've spent there, the people and the place. Please pray for the future of this country and for all who are still there.

I'm finally back from my 3 weeks of travelling. After 3 weeks of solely human interaction, I certainly did a double take when I'm facing this cold way of communication again. Well, now that I'm back, I suppose I should share about what I've been up to during my absence. I've decided to start off with the most memorable trip of all - East Timor.

Just so you know, this is where East Timor is located:-

I went there as part of a team of seven from my church back in Australia. My church adopted one of the villages in East Timor called Kamalelara located in an area called Liquica. Teams have been sent to the village every year for a few years now and our team is there to continue the work that were begun by others.

The village is approximately an hour's drive away from Dili, the capital. I didn't actually capture many pictures of the place since I trusted my cohorts to do the job for me but I haven't collected them yet. Hopefully the meagre few that I have are able do the beauty of the land justice. It was a really nice drive next to the sea. Sights during the drive never failed to take my breathe away.

Some views taken during the ride from the village to Dili:

This is a picture of a beach just down the house where we were staying at. (That's one of our translators during the trip) Fishermens' were returning from their hard day's work, collecting their harvest for the day. It was quite interesting to see them tie the fishes with coconut tree leaves (or at least I think they are coconut tree leaves. Thin, long leaves that can pierce through the fishes' mouth nonetheless).

I became quite intrigued with the fishermens' and their catches after someone who was based there for quite some time mentioned how amazing it was that they always have bountiful catches that never go bad throughout the day despite the extremely hot and humid weather. It's not unusual to see the fishermens' try to sell the same fishes throughout the day either. Just goes to show how God has blessed the people of this land.

2 days before we left, we visited the Statue of Jesus. This statue was built for the Pope's last visit to East Timor. There's actually more than 300 steps (a friend of mine counted but I can't recall the actual number) to get to the foot of the statue but it's definitely worth it. We got up there just before sunset.

On the way there:

The view from the top:

The 'megamall' (the huts on the left) of Liquica:

The 7 days spent in this country has been an eye-opening one. Most of our works there were focused on the kids - kindergarten and primary school. We may not have conducted programs of high standards but they served as a bridge between us and the kids. Images of some of these shy kids are still fresh in my mind. Few actually cried when we approached them. This, we found out later, was because their parents discipline them with the phrase, "I will send you to the foreigners if you're naughty!!"

As with most of such trips sent out by the church, you never really know if you were the giver or the receiver. And honestly speaking, I am scared of kids...especially the crying ones. I do salute those who are good with them. To have so much patience and creativity to keep them occupied.

Since the trip is mainly about working with kids, it was rather challenging for me. The difficulty of the task increases when language is a barrier as well. But God is indeed good. A girl who was extremely scared of us when we first met actually came up and hugged me without being prompted by anyone. (we only met her twice, approx. 2 hours each time)

I believe that's a sign of breakthrough.

2008-02-11T18:50:00.000+09:00

Introducing the latest family addition of 3 months old

Baby Wen Kang

a whiff of nostalgia

2008-02-11T16:17:00.000+09:00

It's day 4 of 2008's Chinese New Year. The general feeling about it so far is that it's the quietest celebration I've ever experienced. If it wasn't for relatives whom I have not seen in years, I probably wouldn't even realise that it's the festive season.

We were back at my dad's hometown for a day trip two days ago. I can't remember when I was back there last...probably about 2-3 years or more. I spent my younger years back in this town. I spent my school holidays back here every year till I was 12. Naturally, I was slightly hyped about us going back. Managed to explore the town in 20mins. There's only 2 streets (shorter than the 2 main shopping streets in Perth) and practically nothing was open because of CNY. Nothing much has changed except for a new building for the wet market and some new businesses that took over the old ones.

As for our ancestral home, there are some slight changes. The area for chicken coops are now storing all sorts of junk. The 3rd step of the stairs do not creak like it used to. (I used to avoid that step when I sneaked downstairs to avoid doing chores) Walking around the house has brought back a flood of memories. It's actually a 3-storey shophouse. I remember sitting on the steps and just staring in between the bars down to the shop...spying on the customers that drop by or checking if my cousin sister has woken up yet. (tried a re-enaction but the view has changed...the area downstairs has sinced been partitioned and have air-cons installed. All I could see were the covers of the partitioned areas...) Oh, and I absolutely love the wooden planks on the 1st floor. Anyone running on it makes it sound as though an elephant is approaching.

A new, red clock has replaced the old one on the 1st floor. Ironically, this clock tells the time an hour in advance. The old clock used to give me the creeps when it's all silent in the middle of the night. It ticks endlessly and a loud DONG!!! goes off when the hour is up. Climbing up to the bed I shared with my granny used to be an achievement in itself. This is one of those ancient beds that resembles today's princess' bed with the drapes falling on its four sides. Well, imagine this bed about a metre high with mosquito nettings instead of pretty laced drapings.

Of course, the major difference in this year's CNY is the fact that I'm actually an adult now. Being the youngest of my generation, I hardly had anything to talk to my cousins in the past. Most of them were out working when I just entered high school if not earlier. Now, I'm able to have decent conversations. =) An aunt made my day when she pouted after realising that I'm going back to Perth to get a job in a week's time. It's not everyday you get to see a great-granny in her late 70s pout at you.

2008-02-09T17:18:00.000+09:00

status: rather tired and sleepy
current activity:
being around while mf removes a worm from her computer. why? for reassurance I guess since she found the solution on her own and is carrying out the steps by herself. Oh, I guess I'm around for questions that I actually do not know how to answer but am supposed to provide answers for.
intended activity: blog about CNY but am now unable to construct proper sentences

interesting readings

2008-02-01T16:25:00.000+09:00

As much as I was complaining about the alien thingamajig in my last post, I embraced it back into my life in no time....as predicted by MF. We were just discussing the other day about how weird it felt to adapt back to life with constant cyberspace connection after a trip that's filled with human interaction. A part of me did not want to readjust actually but as it is....I did.

Too bad...

My activity for the afternoon: blog surfing

It wasn't totally random surfing. I had a starting point - karencheng's blog, a young mother of 2 who's also a designer and a writer with a good sense of humour. From there, I moved on to Metrodad which absolutely made my day. Interested in knowing what the life of an Asian-American fashion executive and father of a 3 year old daughter in New York is like? That's the blog to read.

You can't even imagine some of the silly thoughts that hits the parents' mind when their child asks for/does something. They even teach their kids to say things just for their amusement!!

E.g. A mother teaches the child to greet the dad who has had a few late nights at the door with "Mummy says I shouldn't talk to strangers."

There's also the section for tech savvy people. The gadget blog and Richardsona's blog. One of the videos I found from the latter shows how 4 people remake a scene from saving private ryan in 4 days:

job search ramblings

2008-01-29T19:12:00.000+09:00

Been 5 days since I've returned from my mad travelling now. Amazing what 3 computer/internet-free weeks can do to you. I came home, looking at the silver, rectangular, electronic thingamajig on my table, wondering, what did I used to do with you? How did I ever end up spending a whole day just facing you?

So here I am, picking up the remnants of a life I barely recognise. Reality hits hard when there's someone around to remind me of things like the PR application I've yet to complete and send, the job I've yet to find and apply, getting work clothes for a non-existing job - the list goes on and on.

After finally willing myself off the bed today, thingamajig and I browsed around for job offers in Perth. Every job description I came about made me more and more unsure of myself. There's this invisible checklist in my head that I go through...Java - tick, networking experience - cross, SQL experience - tick/cross...

I'm a fresh graduate!!! Why did they have to list so many requirements? I thought they know that they don't teach anything useful in uni. It's just part of some yellow brick road I have to walk through to get to where I am now.

The Rollercoaster Ride begins....

2008-01-04T03:13:00.000+09:00

There's 3 stages to a rollercoaster ride.

Stage 1: adrenalin is pumping hard and the excitement is so thick you can slice it in the air.

Stage 2: you're on the seat and the safety iron bar comes down, locking you into your seat and you wait the excruciating minutes for the people to fill in the seats and for the ride to start. That's when the whole impact of the scary part of the ride hits you. Regret sets in but the iron bar that's supposed to keep you safe is also your jailer preventing you from escaping the ride.

Stage 3: the bell rings, signifying the start of the nightmare. You can't help but just to sit back, try not to freak out so much and enjoy the ride as best as you could.

My holiday trip that starts an hour later somewhat resembles the ride. Stage 1 was the whole of last week. Stage 2 was the last few days. *yes, regret did set in but it's only regrets on the overall planning of the trip rather than the decision of actually going* Hopefully, Stage 3 begins when I'm on the bus.

My itinerary:

Hong Kong - 5th Jan to 8th Jan
East Timor - 14th Jan to 20th Jan
Bali - 13th Jan and 20th Jan to 23rd Jan
Singapore - the blanks from 3rd Jan to 25th Jan

2008-01-02T18:38:00.000+09:00

ONE day

before the embarking of a 3-week journey

I'm too high strung now to be excited about it right now but that's what the trip is for isn't it?