another month of posts - day six

I watched the Eurocup final last weekend and it was an amazing game. To top it off Spain won 1-0, and justly so as the team had lots of new younger players and were game to try new tactics... and the Germans were just a little out of breath! With a little prompting from Sarah... I am now a fan of Spain and (Fernando) Torres. Below are a couple videos I found...

Liverpool's love for Torres

Spain's footballers

Currently loving:
- the effort to learn another language and integrating it to everyday culture.
- football - need I say more.

another month of posts - day five

It's the weekend and I normally sleep in. But today I ended up waking up early (well by weekend standards) and arrived at my friend's house where a group of us helped clean up her house as it was gutted out. I was heartbroken after witnessing all that was done to the house where my friend and her two little children live... even more of a heartache was that it was done by someone once dear to them all... the estranged husband (and father of the children). The devastation included leaving live wires hanging from the ceilings, wall sockets yanked out, fridge, microwave, washing machine, tv all removed... and the worst was that the entire back garden had been ripped out and left in a state of disarray. A skip bin was hired the day before and we started on the garage first, doing a huge cull out of what was not needed in the area... then we headed into the garden which was just a wreck. After an entire day of work (some of which was done under drizzling rain), the result was a clean garage with a lot more usable space, the house with safe electricity (the live wires around the house resulted to a huge bill last month), and a garden now in a much better state for leveling, tiling and some new lawn. I was so amazed at how much everyone was willing to help, the boys used their brawn, grinder, chainsaw, ax, saw, etc... the girls organised the garage, smashed up busted concrete and hauled them out to the skip, yanked out the plastic sheeting which used to line the pond, remove the electrical wires that ran through the garden... and did I mention we managed to fill the skip bin, take a load of rubbish to the tip, and also load a truck load of metal scraps. It was such a generous, love-filled, fulfilling and unforgettable day.

Currently loving:
- wheelbarrow - without it we would have taken ages lugging the debris to the skip.
- gloves - giving a little extra grip, and also protecting the hands from getting ripped into shreds.
- hand cream - the little comfort after a long day of work to soothe the sore and calloused hands.

another month of posts - day four

Did I mention that I am a huge fan of Jane Austen? I have finally read all six of her major novels... and I even found a few kindred spirits recently and we had a Jane Austen night... paying tribute to the amazing author by watching DVDs that were inspired by and loosely based about her. It was a powerful combination of four girls (Ronel, Cathy, Brisa and I), dinner, pink cupcakes, maltesers, popcorn, "The Jane Austen Book Club" and "Becoming Jane".

Currently loving:
- Grigg in "The Jane Austen Book Club"... gotta love a sci-fi geek who thought Austen's six books were in sequels and read in order.
- Emma... brutality honest heroine who kept reflecting and learning from her mistakes.
- The men in Becoming Jane... James McAvoy, Joe Anderson, Laurence Fox
- Pink cupcakes
- Spending time with the girls.

another month of posts - day three

A few more photo updates from June... Seven colleagues and I chipped in and supported the Breast Cancer Foundation of WA on 13 June by wearing purple bras on the outside and raising money by having people sponsor us. Some of my colleagues weren't able to participate on the 13th so they decided to start a day earlier and were strutting the bras around central office on the 12th. I have to admit it felt rather awkward and weird wearing a bra on the outside, having people ask us why we were wearing the bras (making us very self-conscious), walking down to the local pub for lunch in it (yes, it raised an awareness for sure), and not normally a size 14C the experience was a little overwhelming... fyi I did end up wearing the bra till mid afternoon. The boys absolutely loved the experience, a couple of them even got into bra stuffing too. Here are the priceless pics:

And I received the beautiful wedding invitation from Kelly and Pat to join them in November for their Toronto nuptials. I was ecstatic when I discovered that three round blobs at the top of the invite were magnets! Simply ingenious and the caricatures really do look quite like the sweet couple.

And these are some of the plants that are currently in bloom in our garden.

another month of posts - day two

I'm doing a little back posting. Almost a month ago, I got to spend a very relaxing weekend with some incredibly amazing friends (Bryce, Tin Tin, Amanda, Ben and Dan) down around the Margaret River region which is well known for its beaches and wineries. It was really good to spend time away from Perth. I was absolutely captivated by nature's beauty... it was a colour and texture fest for me! Oh and did I mention the food I got to try was just scrumptious.

more pics click here

another month of posts - day one

I have decided to give blogging for another month a shot. I found that it was actually rather stimulating for me to just jot down stuff... and feel free to provide feedback.

Winter has arrived and the reality of just how bitingly cold it can be especially getting up early in the morning getting ready for work, walking out to the main road to wait for the bus, etc has never seemed more confronting. And there's the funny balance of wearing too much and wearing too little.. wear too little and you'll end up catching a cold, but if you wear too much you'll start sweating especially in a stuffy and enclosed space ie on the train plus you'll feel like an encased sausage/michellin man/giant marshmallow. Hmm I digress... I've been really enjoying catching public transport to work recently... I use it 3-4 times at week now. It's been much more economical, fuel, money and time-wise. I'm really liking the fact I get to read to and from work, not have to stop start in traffic; wonder if I'm going to get stuck in a jam to get to work; worry about finding a car park with the lack of parking around my work area; and having to wait in queue then wrangle with the new parking machines which often do not accept money or spit out the ticket meanwhile trying to resolve the ticket obtaining situation as soon as possible as there are another half a dozen fellow agitated-and-disgruntled-with-the-parking-machine customers also awaiting to have a go at wrangling with the bloody machine. I'm also really liking that I get to take in the surroundings as I walk past... I've been intrigued by the deciduous trees changing into their vibrant colours then shedding their leaves... and the beautiful textures and patterns they create as they pile on the ground... simply breathtaking.

sprout playing with the leaves outside church + the tree that captured my attention at the mount lawley golf club

ps: this is my 150th post! wow can't believe this blog has sustained and lasted this long.
pps: labels or no labels? still deciding.

may - an emotional month

I've been meaning to write sooner... but could not find the right words to put right all that happened in May. There were some fun times with my friends (click on the big images for more pics):
- Brendan's farewell party
- Bonfire charity fundraiser night at Gidgegannup
- Amy's birthday dinner at Queen's

tarns and dee + the party at Queen's

the gorgeous birthday girl amy

celeste and ann trying out new millinery styles

And my family have been through lots together in this month... My little nephew Dominic was born on 13 May. Nat got sick three days after the birth and was admitted into the ICU to be treated. They were still at the hospital on day seven when they discovered Dominic wasn't feeding properly and was looking pale and started spasming... that was when they closely monitored him and the next day sent him to PMH's neo-natal ICU. His situation got worse and the doctors discovered that his organs were shutting down and his heart wasn't coping with it all. He was with us until 23 May. It has been extremely difficult for Moses and Nat. But it has been beautiful how my family has been together, supporting one another through this difficult time. We have also been blessed with relatives and friends who have been so generous and loving through this time. My family trust and believe that God has got a plan greater that what we know now.

13 Corinthians 13: 12-13
Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love.

My wonderful family - May 2008

a month of posts - day thirty

Alas it is the last day of my month of posting. It has been an eventful journey for me. Often when asked how I've been, the replying is quite commonly 'nothing much' but upon reflection quite a lot has happened this month. So here's a list of some of the new things I have discovered/ experienced in the past thirty days:

• Having breakfast for dinner... Amanda concocted this meal to celebrate some of her friends passion for breakfast.
• Dined at various cafes for breakfast... a trend amongst my friends recently to try out different breakfast venues.
• Tea and scones on the park... celeste invited the girls to share some delectable scones and sip cuppas... bring on the smoked russian caravan yum!
• Downsizing and moving office space is a very very huge and arduous task... two weeks after my team moved into the new area, I'm still having to cull and minimise the amount of stuff we have accumulated from the past two years.
• I'm not fond of dying rats... especially not anywhere near where I'm sitting.
• House sitting is pretty good fun... paint fumes however not so much.
• I love my Youth Choir... I love the vibrance and the heart of the youth who just desire to serve... it's truly inspirational.
• I love catching up with old friends and never seem like we were apart for that many years... my friend Mira and I have been living in the same city for the past four years and though we have occasionally contacted one another we hadn't had the opportunity to catch up until last week. It was amazing... just like the HK days.
• I am officially a Jane Austen fan.
• My new camera is very hot!

image taken while playing with new camera (still without a name)

a month of posts - day twentynine

These are my new favourites from Hong Kong (courtesy of mom and dad who were over there for a short five-day trip):
- my new camera!!! thank you Josh for shopping for this baby... got a canon ixus 900! very exciting!... I haven't yet thought of a name of it... although not too sure if I should really name such an item.
- 牛力酥 the sweet breadstick that accompanies congee and a glass of soya been milk... mom brought some back from a congee shop... I scoffed one down at work this morning! So delicious, oh how I have missed it.
- dried mangoes Philippines style... need I explain myself
And from HK via the internet
- 'Your Heart' from The Vine's new worship album, written by my friend Joshua... love this song!

a month of posts - day twentyeight

Time has been a huge factor of this blog recently. I have realised that I haven't had much time to sit in front of my computer and post in the past few weeks. Other things in my life that have also been greatly affected by time of late:
- waking up in the mornings (the colder weather does not make getting up any easier)... I've been trying to wake up earlier... trying being the key word!
- calculating how long it takes to get to work on public transport... I reckon sometimes it's actually quicker than driving in recent days as Perth's traffic has started to get worse
- the amount of gym sessions I can squish into a week... at the moment two is the most I can fit into the weekly schedule... guess it's a start
- cooking... although I have to say one of the other factors is probably not having the right ingredients making it hard to concoct quick and easy meals... unless it's instant noodles!

a month of posts - day twentyseven

I love cake! Tonight after church we ended up at a cafe. I stared for a very long time at the cake display before I could make a decision. I wanted to try a bit of everything. Alright I admit I was starving at the time... I didn't end up eating one of every cake (thankfully) Hmm, is this weird? I may not like eating blocks of chocolate, but do like mudcake. Anyway, here are some aussie favourites:
- pavlova
- mudcake
- lemon meringue pie
- lamington
- carrot cake (who can fault this one!)

a month of posts - day twentysix

What do you do when you have to say goodbye to yet another one of your good friends? Seems like I often make great friends then they leave town... sigh do I smell that bad? Well my only consolation is that I know I'll see them again, perhaps not soon, but eventually... (Can't wait to catch up with my high school friends at the end of the year when I go back to HK... so I don't think I've seen in almost a decade... that's a very long time!)

a month of posts - day twentyfive

Today is Anzac Day. This day marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during WWI and is one of the most important occasions here in Australia. ANZAC is the acronym for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. Not being an Aussie, this day never seemed to matter to me... it was just another public holiday... until this year. I guess it was the realisation that one of my good friends is a pilot with the air force and knowing he has to protect the country and risk his life in doing so is very daunting... plus listening to the Hamish and Andy radio show last week as the two radio DJs went to Afghanistan to do their weekly show with the troops stationed there, it highlighted what the defence force was doing there etc. Hmm I'm pretty sure there are many other factors that made me feel more strongly connected with the significance of Anzac Day ie knowing some of my friends have grandparents who served in WWII, the tributes on television, the war veterans and returning servicemen who paraded before the AFL matches today, anzac biscuits, etc. I reckon it's great that the nation gets to reflect on what people have done in the past and honour them for it.

They shall grow not old,
As we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning
We will remember them. Lest we Forget - The Ode

a month of posts - day twentyfour

This morning I had to grab some shrapnel for the parking ticket, so I ducked into the shops and bought a tub of mixed fruit. I started chomping into the tub whilst checking my emails etc, then half way through the tub I suddenly made a discovery... the fruit juice tasted funny! It had a bitter tang laced through it. I read the ingredients on the side of the tub and it contained the words 'artificial sweetener' not once, but twice. I was a little shocked but more saddened by the fact that what would have been deliciously lush chunks of fruit was masked by a dull tasting sweetener which attempted to taste like fruit juice. I understand that there are people who are trying to lose weight or can not intake straight doses of sucrose or fructose... But still... It makes me wonder though, through advertising sugar-free products and using artificial sweeteners have been widely promoted and often related to weight loss and teeth-friendly, but are there any side effects? Surely if food is processed and refined, it makes the body work much harder... and how does your liver, kidneys etc handle it all? Anyway it's just a thought. I'm definitely still a huge fan of the full cream, full sugar products like coca-cola, butter, creamy yoghurt, canned fruit in real fruit juice, and the list goes on and on...

a month of posts - day twentythree

Rats! I knew my office sometimes had visits from little critters, but I did not realise the severity of the issue until I moved over to the new work area. On Monday morning one of my colleagues came into work and stepped on something very sticky, so I went over to her desk to investigate. This investigation did not last long at all. We discovered what my colleague had stepped on was some of the super sticky glue residue from the rodent glue pad traps aka sticky pad. So we had a look around for the trap and low and behold we discovered an overturned sticky pad with a long pink tail peeking out. An animal!!! I could not believe what I was seeing! It was a rat, as only rats would be this size. On second glance, I realised that the rat was still alive as the tail was still moving and curling about. I was absolutely grossed out knowing that there were no sticky pads placed around our work area, hence the rat would have stepped onto the pad and tried to continue to scurry around, only to bump into a chair or a table and get further lodged into the glue, meanwhile trying to continue on the get away journey, and then finally ended up next to my colleague's desk when it could not move any further. It is so distressing. The facilities people came and removed the poor rat from the area. The facilities manager later that day told me that it has become more apparent recently that there is a rodent infestation issue within the building and the pest control company was going to start an intensive course of poison around the vicinity. Anyway today we came into the office and there was a funky waft of something coming from a corner of the room, and the facilities guys found a dead rat. What is going on here? Rats everywhere. This is just craziness!

the sticky pad rat was definitely not like ratatouille

a month of posts - day twentytwo

My team at work has recently moved to a new work area. The move has made me extremely aware just how much change and territories are to people. My big big boss told me to liaise with colleagues who are already in the area we were moving to... the first meeting... man one lady made it very clear her team did not have enough space and could not move. Awkward. Anyway the process was a little tense... that's the best way to put it... I did in the end manage to organised my team and we eventually moved. I am now working with a colleague attempting to cull out all the things we don't need in our new area, as space is limited and we need a major clean up... sigh we have to get rid of sooooo much stuff. But my questions from this experience is why are we so adversed to change? Why are we territorial? We like to label/name/ brand things with our name on it... why is that? Is it in our nature to hoard stuff? Seems like I'm constantly chucking stuff out... does that make me materialistic? hmmm

a month of posts - day twentyone

Ok I was back at my home for family dinner tonight... was really nice to have dinner with everyone... it's been a while. My brother often works in the evenings and mom and dad are going over to Hong Kong on Wednesday for five days, so it was good to catch up and touch base. Being back home tonight really made me realise how lovely and important it is to have my family support one another. It was also great to hear dad talk about his daily adventures at the clinic. My personal achievement for the evening... sweet potato mash! Alrighty I better leave before I fall asleep driving.

a month of posts - day twenty

The weather changed dramatically in the last few days and it has been freezing... alright perhaps not freezing just yet but it has been very cold. As I was lying in bed last night trying to stay warm I thought of the clothes I would most likely be seen wearing this year in anticipation of the cold weather:
- long cardigans
- beanie
- scarves
- tights
- hoodies
- trackiedaks
- polar fleece blanket

a month of posts - day nineteen

Adjusting to living in another person's house knowing you will only be there for just over a week is certainly a bit of an adventure. I am currently house sitting a friend's house who only three weeks ago moved into the place and had some major renovations done to it... when I arrived I found myself in faced with lots of boxes yet to be unpacked and paint fumes. Luckily a couple other friends came over on the weekend and helped unpack more stuff and reorganise some of the furniture to make room for lots more livable space. Aside from the minor issues ie fume poisoning (just kidding)... I totally love the place as it overlooks the foreshore so I get to check out the lush grass and lake before the swan river, plus the Perth city scape... pretty spectacular... plus it's much closer to the city.

Anyway here is a list of bare essentials I conjured up as I moved stuff over for the house sitting stint:
- clothes
- toiletries
- fresh food (I decided instant noodles just were not going to cut it)
- books... I'm currently reading Emma
- laptop (but I don't have one.... sigh! so the broadband connection is just sitting there wasting away)
Have I missed out anything?

a month of posts - day eighteen

It's mom's birthday today. I was able to have the day off today and got to spend some time with her. The siblings and I took mom out to Tarts Cafe for brunch. The lunches there are good but I'm still a big fan of their breakfast menu. Nat and Moses brought along a marble cake... yummo!!! Mom actually thought it was a priviledge to go out with all of us kids as it is such a rarity... normally dad and or gong gong is out with us. Pics from Sarah's camera to come.

The Young Adult Retreat is happening with weekend at Serpentine. I'm helping with the music team tonight and tomorrow night, it should be lots of fun. Sigh I'm not longer in the 18-25 age bracket, but I'm glad that I can help out. Did I mention that I've been feeling old these days? Recently bought myself an eye cream... I'm not too convinced it can eliminate the dark circles under my eyes and iron out my wrinkles but it's a bit of a consolation haha.