Monday, September 03, 2007

it's been a long time

I honestly wanted to post a while back but my computer has been giving much grief... I'm still fixing it and hoping it's now on the road to recovery. Can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted.

Anyway many (mostly good) things have happened in the last few weeks... to name a few things (not in any particular order): I've been working really hard, sometimes wondering if I'm actually cut out to even do the job... but glad to have the opportunity to learn even if it can be tough at times and satisfied when I know the things I have been coordinating end up being alright; Kym dropped into town for a few days and it was really lovely to catch up with her; Serg flew off to Chile to be closer to his girlfriend (now fiancee!); my cousin Nathan, aunt and uncle were in town for a month... mom treated us all to Cirque du Soleil's Varekai which was magical and Nathan really loved the fairy floss!; I went to Brooke Fraser's concert... wow that girl is amazingly talented and quirky; Got to see Switchfoot play at Youth Alive's Adrenaline rally... those guys were so good, and this time the sound was much better than their previous gig; It was Father's Day last Sunday... dad decided he wanted to do something different this year and requested to go to Kings Park... we packed a picnic and had a great time out in the sun on the grass... think my gong gong quite enjoyed it too (secretly)... we also got to stroll through the wildflowers on display much to dad's delight...

I have actually taken lots of pictures recently, but will have to slowly sift through and upload them... below are just some of my favourite shots from August.

gayle and maya + ranuculus

eli shelley celeste + double rainbow

brooke fraser + mike and kym

ann and kym + basement at norfolk hotel

jasmine + youth band practising

nathan and sarah + switchfoot

jonquils + ann and sarah
Currently loving:
- Gloria Jean's creamy hot cocoa... can't wait to get a hold of the retail version of it... the stuff is addictive!
- flowers popping up everywhere!!! like the ones near my work... little grevillea type flowers growing out of shrubs... I'm quite enjoying the native plants which are so different from the plants I was used to seeing in HK in pots, in cellophane and all mass produced...
- the amazing range of pink sprays (dusky pinks to vibrant fucshias) of geraldton waxes and the gentle yellow sprays of the mimosas along the freeway, especially off the South Street exit! the colours just make me gush...
- the soft fragrance of jasmine as it sweetly wafts into the living from the patio lattice...
- sticky date pudding at Little Creatures... simply divine!

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

july happenings

July has been and gone and it seems that so much has happened. Job-wise... Term 2 ended and my team continued to plough through the huge task of putting all our work together to present them online. We worked super hard and somehow miraculously we got them up online before our deadline - day one of Term 3. Now that one deadline has been completed another mammoth task has begun... guess that's life... you may stop but the world around you does not. And I'm still in my acting position... not too sure how much longer I'll be in the position for, but for now it's been a blessing financially and also a major learning curve for me... hurts my brain. The Youth leadership changed hands at the beginning of the term... Matt and Chelsea are now leading and Paul and Bec will be focusing more on Paul's worship pastoral role and looking after their family. It has been a really smooth and supported transition... and I am anticipating for new and amazing things to happen through and at Youth.

What else happened in this busy month... here are some of them: My red pony aka car finally got its dent fixed so now it's all pretty again... The choir in the church album recording got called in twice during the school holidays to re-record the sound as the mics during the recording picked up more than just the choir's sounds making the editing rather muddy. It was really fun and what a priviledge to sing and serve with so many talented people, I got to learn so much more about recording and by the end of the re-recording we were all much more aware of how our voices get projected and how it should be presented. Big props to the sound technician and our choir directors for being super sensitive and picking up on what needed to be altered... It was Shannon's birthday and she invited a bunch of girls for high tea at her house. Wow it was amazing! There were tonnes of homemade cupcakes, shortbread, sandwiches, canapes and lots of girly time... My cousin gave birth to a baby girl called Kimberley, we're now all cooing relatives!... It has been a long time since going to the Llama Bar on a Thursday night but a bunch of us decided to check out the super talented band Spy. I loved the jazz/ fusion style, and I had totally forgotten how much I loved the sound of the bass. We were also graced by the legendary drummer Tony Royster Jr who made an unexpected appearance at the club and even played 2 songs with the band and just basically wowed the entire audience... Josh Dunjey officially joined the 2x10 club and had a group of us over to his house for a delicious home cooked 3-course meal! Yum and it was complete with freshly made meringues and birthday lollies!... My friend Kelly got engaged in Toronto to her boyfriend Pat of over 5 years! Congratulations!

click pic for more pics...
Currently loving:
- the best paper aeroplane flying game... you don't even have to use paper or get paper cuts...
- succulent wreaths... I would love one of these... they probably last longer than the 'lucky' bamboo on my work desk which has managed to go yellow! guess I'm no green finger.
- hot lemon honey water... I managed to develop a rather sore throat over night which is only feeling worse at the moment.

Monday, July 02, 2007

mercy ball

I planned to go to the Mercy Ball with some of my connect group members, but then as the date grew closer people began to pike out... luckily the Saturday before the actual event I found someone who was interested in joining my small party of three... in the end we went as a group of five - Karen, Tania, Jodie, Glen and myself. The night was spectacular... we were welcomed by angels at the entrance, the ballroom looked incredible, the guests were all gorgeous, the food delicious... There were performances by Roma Waterman and little dancers from Footprintz, Paul Morrison and his band who launched his new album that night, James Morrison the amazing jazz musician, and Todd Johnson and his band. The night was to help raise money for Mercy Ministries... everyone pitched in... participating in the silent auction, purchasing balloons and boxes, the actual auction, Paul's CDs etc... simply amazing!

click the image for more pics from the mercy ball

Currently loving:
- Transformers... what a great movie! total 80s flashback... and I wouldn't mind a hot yellow car like that.
- that I finally finished knitting the scarf that I started last year.
- Paul Morrison's new album "Pictures Not Taken"... that man is super talented!

adventures with chicken

My friend Karen, affectionately known as Chicken, arrived the morning of the second day of the Big Weekend. We pretty much jetted from the airport back to my place to drop her suitcase off, then went to church in time the session with Darlene. That weekend I was in the choir so the poor girl didn't see anything but my place and church. The two weeks went quickly. Karen did some sightseeing while I was at work. I was able to take 2 days off work and spent some time showing her the other parts of Perth like Swan Valley and Cottesloe. Apart from the sightseeing I reckon we pretty much ate our way through town... We were able to catch up with some Vine members that are now living in Perth (Adam and Maree)... click on the pic to view the evidence.

Chicken, thank you for visiting me what a big answer to a simple prayer, thank you for just being a great friend, for listening to me, for imparting wisdom in my life, thank you for bringing me the HK essentials (lots and lots of dried mangoes, lots of Vine CDs, sunscreen)... thank you for being a champ and eating heaps with me... thank you for constantly making me laugh... big hug big kiss little hug little ooxx fishy

Currently loving:
- the Extra chewing gum ad... the cutest animations ever!!! I want that doughnut as a pet!
- eating dried mangoes
- listening to the Vine album
- my electric blanket... so toasty!

Sunday, June 10, 2007

officically winter

Winter has arrived... amidst rain, wind and gloom these past couple of weeks, it was a beautiful sunny day when we celebrated my gorgeous and talented friend Polanski's birthday...

click this link for more pics from the birthday breakfast

Other random happenings of late: My friend Shannon's dog Tilly gave birth to 5 puppies and I was able to visit them the day after the birth... they were so cute, their eyes hadn't opened yet and were just snuggling in with their mommy... I'm so sad cuz my hairdresser Michael has decided to leave town for the UK... what's going to become of my hair! haha anyway I'm definitely going to miss my pseudo-asian Luke Perry!!... I got my admin job back (well extended) so I'm really glad that there will be some job security... The Big Weekend at Riverview (a weekend filled with amazing speakers including Mark and Darlene Zschech) is coming up this weekend and it will include the worship album recording. I'm in the choir and it's been really exciting learning new songs, parts and arrangements, and I feel so blessed to be able to serve alongside an incredible team of uber talented people... My friend Karen will be coming over for a visit, we're hoping to have a bit of a vine reunion in Perth!

tilly and her babies + ann and polanski window shopping

a random pile of banana peels on the side of a road

we asians - michael and ann

PS: My super gifted friend Polanski not only hemmed up a new pair of black jeans (cuz regular jeans are too long for my short legs) that I had to buy as part of the album record's requirements for choir members)'s school project, but she also created a really funky skirt for a uni project. I was able to spend some time with her this weekend as she was piecing the whole thing up. I love the yellow and those amazing big buttons which she handmade.


Currently loving:
- irises
- chai tea
- my connect group
- the talented singers and musos who are preparing for Riverview's upcoming album record
- dental check-ups when the dentist gives me the all clear! phew!
- private insurance for covering dental! yay!

Monday, May 28, 2007

yay for may

I've been in my job for just over a year now. Wow! I still can't believe that a 5-day job has turned out to be so much more than what it originally entailed. Thank you God! I was really missing HK two weeks ago... no, I was severely missing HK... and out of the blue I received an email from a dear friend requesting for my home address and within a few days I received a care package from HK complete with the Vine Worship Band's album (yes I know it was so last year but I never got a copy!), one_eighty stickers, a dvd, a kitschy phone dingle dangly thing and even handwritten letters! I was so touched... really felt that God heard my heart and decided to answer it... it was like 'if Ann can't be in HK, let's bring HK to Ann'... incredibly uplifting! And it doesn't end there... my friend Chicken told me a few days ago that she'll be stopping over in Perth before going over to the UK for the rest of her summer holidays! yippee... and I was even able to briefly catch up with Maree who I knew back from the Vine days at my church Riverview over the weekend... ahhhh my HK fix for the week! bliss!

Wishing all the May babies a very happy (belated) birthday including my bro, Kel and Maver.

Here are a few pics taken over the past few days:

at texas' 18th birthday party

gorgeous parakeets near my office

a little something from a magazine bryce gave me before he left town that made me laugh...


Currently loving:
- listening to the Vine Worship Band... it's food for the soul
- my new bookcase... yes I finally pieced it together! now need to sort out my books...
- the rainbows appearing after the rain
- the sound of rain pelting down my roof

Monday, May 21, 2007

pensive: what's going on?

Three weeks into my new acting position, many hours of overtime later and I've still not quite settled into the job... but I've started enjoying the role (which is a start). To prove that nothing is permanent I recently had to apply for the job I was in before I started the acting position... confused? well basically I have to apply for my old job back.

As I was browing through news feeds I found a rather sad and disturbing news story about a father who microwaved his 2-month old baby... To make it worse the father claimed he was called to be minister by God...

I received a bulletin from a travel company and it was advertising trips to Hong Hong. It named and described a hotel that is "in Hong Kong's Chinatown, with a free shuttle to the MTR making this property in a convenient location". Can someone please explain to me what and where Chinatown is in Hong Kong????? I'm so lost...

Currently loving:
- dried mango from the Philippines
- the red leaves outside my office window
- iTunes on my work computer and headphones so I get to drown out the severely loud discussions (that are totally work unrelated ie speed dating) happening in the next pod.
- Red Rock honey mustard chips

Below are a few of my fav pics taken recently. Clockwise from top left: mussels and pizza in freo; chelsea, ann and clare at dave and andrea's wedding (thanks clare); red leaves; bdg and louwie.

Sunday, April 29, 2007

april update

April seems to be a pretty eventful month... Here are some picture evidence of what happened after Easter... (not all in chronological order)

Aaron and Chantelle's engagement party - a really cosy luncheon at Chantelle's parents' house where her parents cooked up a storm, Simon helped out as the coffee barista, and there was a dessert table complete with a chocolate fountain for fondue!

clare sarah chantelle + simon working the coffee machine

chris + caleb and clare

fiona and the chocolate fountain

ben sierra ann + emily adam kate

It was my mom's birthday...

dad and mom

It was my cousin Sylvia's birthday - we went to my favourite Japanese restaurant Zen and totally pigged out.

clockwise from top left: the birthday cake; jac and fabe; syl and gong gong; ben, eve and sarah

Syl and Justin

I had lunch with some of my uni friends and caught up with all the latest goss... It was also Jono's birthday - we went to Time Zone, the boys ended up with water pistols!

uni friends brandon dave nikki chris + jono seth jason with their pistols

Bryce decided to leave us for the US... it was a farewell weekend... the official farewell party was at Amanda's house. Amanda was a very gracious hostess who not only let us hang out at her house but also lavished us with a home cooked dinner.

chilling in the lounge room + corina amanda bonnie

leftover spag bol + bryce mal dani

bryce hacker + corina

bryce sarah + ann

Some of us also went to the airport to send Bryce off...

corina and gayle + ado b00f bryce

jess and bryce + bryce and his sis emma

group shots

bryce posing one last time before going thru customs + the rest of us leaving the airport

Currently loving:
- Finding my high school friends on Facebook. Although I think there are too many networking sites these days and it's increasingly annoying as it's really hard to keep track... sigh!
- The combination of abscission, anthocyanin, and carotene in plants that create the amazing colour changes in the leaves and for making them fall off the trees in autumn... nature's eye candy!
- Discovering new functions on my camera (thanks Bryce! and no I guess I haven't gone through the entire user's manual yet!)
- Yumcha (飲茶) - a great time to catch up with friends over dimsum (點心) and jasmine tea.
- Yerba mate - missed drinking that tea... recently started drinking it again... what an amazing green tea! I haven't been able to find Mate Cocido anywhere in Perth though... anyone know where I can get some of that stuff?