It's 7 working days to the Big Apple. I am counting down by days now...and note the word 'WORKING'. :) Weekends alway flies so I shouldn't count them. Dad and mum's arriving tomorrow night. I sooo can't wait!!
I spent 2 hours practically cleaning up the whole house again on Wednesday night. But I have a strong feeling that it still not up to my mum's standard. Yikes! :) Ah well..mum's never quite satisfied when it comes to my bro and my cleaning.
Last night was our very last official Urban Life meeting for the year. We had two new visitors.. and I realised how multicultural our urban life has become. We have a Kenyan girl, a German guy, a Mauritius guy, an Indian who has become so Malaysian, an Indonesian and the rest are Malaysian of course... well Ant's almost one! ;) I cooked for my urbies for the first time this year. Made pan-fried kim chi dumplings - with the help of QS and Yogi...:) It's been a while since I cooked for Urban Life. Gone were the days when I actually made a full on sit down dinner. Sorry guys, I still love you all.. Just needing to find the time. I got bagged by QS and Yogi for making them wait 3 years for my green tea ice cream. Aiks!! And guess what, the recent one which I made is soooooooooo bitter! :P Too much powder and not enough ice cream. Ooopsy!
In April last year before my group partitioned with Cynth's, we made a time capsule letter, writing down what we hope to see and achieve in the next year or so. I have kept them for a while and we decided to open them up last night. A few of us have achieved them, or in a progress of.. while some are being reminded to start working on them. I for one have yet to fully see the 3 things I desire come to pass.. but I believe I'm in the journey now.
I'll share some of the things that my guys saw fulfilled. Ai Mee desired to see her relationship with her brother restored. After almost a year and a half, they are now on talking terms and are going through a healing process. Ant saw himself growing and developing into a better graphic designer within his company. Chris is reminded to start looking for a job - he actually started writing up his resume. Sibin got his PR approved this year after taking three IELTS tests. God is indeed GREAT!
We also had some reflections on what has happened for the past 11 months in 2009. Be it good or bad, we have learnt heaps through our circumstances. Apart from my jobless and trying year in 2006, this year was quite challenging in itself. But in the midst of all the struggles, frustrations and sometimes loneliness, I found God's faithfulness. I've learnt the true meaning of growing up which isn't always easy. I've experienced God's providence in many ways. And I discovered what it means to be dependent on Him once again. There are some things in life that humans can never fully control - and somehow, I felt God intentionally place me in those situations to help me realise that I have to let go and let HIM do the rest. Believe me, I'm not there yet - I'm still learning...
A friend and urban life member just spoke to me last night about dealing with his friend's passing away. Why does God allow it to happen? There's so much going on for this young life - why her? Why now? To be honest, I don't have the answer to all those questions. We can never fully comprehend why God choose to take some people away earlier than others. I could not understand why my old church friend Shieh Nee who was an aspiring doctor was taken away last year as well. But I have chosen to believe God has HIS reasons. HE had something greater planned. My friend had different opinions all thrown at him..- one of his friend said, perhaps her time on earth is up. That made him question, so why plan for the future? Why continue dreaming? My thoughts are, we should never stop planning and dreaming despite the possibility of our deaths. We will all die one day. But in this very short life of ours, we should not allow our mortality to stop us from dreaming and living bigger than ourselves.
I drove home last night pondering on all the questions he had. I thought to myself, if anything happens to me tomorrow and God decides my time is up despite the fact of my plans to go to New York, at least I had the satisfaction of seeing the possibility of my trip. It's better to die trying than not try at all...:)
Tonight's my company's Xmas party. Not quite looking forward coz' I dislike the awkward standing around and small talks. But for the sake of it all, I'll not be a party popper.. although I must say, I might do a phantom after 9.30..:) I don't like seeing inappropriate behaviour (as a result of alcohol) in my normally sane colleagues.
Tick tock tick tock, 7 more working days... the BIG APPLE here I come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Slaving
I once thought that pampering like spa, facial and manicure is a waste of money. But last weekend, my perception changed. Yogi and I went for the most amazing body massage ever. The last time I remember going for any massage was with Sharene and I almost died from the pain after. I felt as though my whole back was being beaten and bruised. And instead of having a good night sleep, I was in great agony and I told Sharene, No more massages for me please! Hehehe.. I think that's because it was the Asian massage.
On Saturday, Yogi and I went to Endota Spa - thanks to my company's Red Balloon voucher. We were like 'jakuns', trying to figure out what to do. Thankfully it was just the two of us. 'Eh, should we take this out? Or should we leave this on? Eh how ar?'... Hehehe it was pretty funny. The massage was an hour long of pure bliss! I wished it lasted forever. I had a really good night sleep after that. My whole body felt completely relaxed and rejuvenated. Peggen - you should really go for one! :)
I think the experience from the weekend is going to make a bigger hole in my bank account in the future. Now I truly understand why my mum loves massages. So Yogi and QS, quarterly massages? That's all we can afford for now..:) But apart from this, I am still not convinced with manicure - such a waste of money! :P
Oh and I finally converted my AUD into USD... at 91cents! :) Everyone please give me a sigh of relief! My colleagues have been bugging me the past months to stop being greedy. Now I've given in.. and I will stop checking the currency rates every morning.
The pampering and relaxing weekend actually prepared me for an extremely busy Monday. I came from work today and started cleaning and slaving myself to the home. Living alone and trying to maintain a house by myself is actually a huge responsibility. I can now truly understand why my mum often prides herself with her ability to take care of the home. I came home today and got out the ladder to fix the front lamp bulb which blew out a couple of months ago - yes, I have been too lazy to do it and I didn't even realised we had a ladder. My front landscape is horrendous. Just let me put you into perspective. My super annoying developer sent me a letter telling me off for allowing weeds to grow at my front yard. They have given me 30 days to clear it out!
Australia is a super fertile land for weeds to grow! Can you imagine, my parents had previously laid the weed mat to avoid the weeds from growing, but within 4 months, the weeds have been sprouting like mushrooms!! So for those who wonder why there isn't a house warming since I moved in, you have my answer. First it was the fencing that wasn't up and now it's the weeds that need to be cleared. Dad and mum, please come and help me!!
So today, I finally decided to apply the weed killer spray. I even had to pull out some of the weeds with my bear hands. Aiks!!
After that, I thought of preparing the next few days lunches - tender turkey breast and couscous with sultanas. While preparing, I finally found the ant trail which has been irritating me for a while. It was some ingredients in the pantry which had ants in them. I had to throw some of them out. Ohh, today.. Tara taught me a clever trick about ants! She said to keep them out of your pantry and kitchen, place a few cups of plain flour around the area. This will slowly decrease the amount of ants. I'm not sure what it is in the flour but I think it's starting to work.
After cleaning up the whole pantry and throwing out some ant-filled stuff, I finally cooked my lunch! And then the sweeping and mopping comes in. These are some of the reasons why I don't really cook often. It takes too much time and I can't stand a dirty sticky floor! :) Call me pedantic or whatever but seriously, it's sooo disgusting! Just makes me think about the boys' house - Brian and Royce's. EEEEKS!
Soo that's a summary of my Monday night..3 more weeks to New York - free from worries!
On Saturday, Yogi and I went to Endota Spa - thanks to my company's Red Balloon voucher. We were like 'jakuns', trying to figure out what to do. Thankfully it was just the two of us. 'Eh, should we take this out? Or should we leave this on? Eh how ar?'... Hehehe it was pretty funny. The massage was an hour long of pure bliss! I wished it lasted forever. I had a really good night sleep after that. My whole body felt completely relaxed and rejuvenated. Peggen - you should really go for one! :)
I think the experience from the weekend is going to make a bigger hole in my bank account in the future. Now I truly understand why my mum loves massages. So Yogi and QS, quarterly massages? That's all we can afford for now..:) But apart from this, I am still not convinced with manicure - such a waste of money! :P
Oh and I finally converted my AUD into USD... at 91cents! :) Everyone please give me a sigh of relief! My colleagues have been bugging me the past months to stop being greedy. Now I've given in.. and I will stop checking the currency rates every morning.
The pampering and relaxing weekend actually prepared me for an extremely busy Monday. I came from work today and started cleaning and slaving myself to the home. Living alone and trying to maintain a house by myself is actually a huge responsibility. I can now truly understand why my mum often prides herself with her ability to take care of the home. I came home today and got out the ladder to fix the front lamp bulb which blew out a couple of months ago - yes, I have been too lazy to do it and I didn't even realised we had a ladder. My front landscape is horrendous. Just let me put you into perspective. My super annoying developer sent me a letter telling me off for allowing weeds to grow at my front yard. They have given me 30 days to clear it out!
Australia is a super fertile land for weeds to grow! Can you imagine, my parents had previously laid the weed mat to avoid the weeds from growing, but within 4 months, the weeds have been sprouting like mushrooms!! So for those who wonder why there isn't a house warming since I moved in, you have my answer. First it was the fencing that wasn't up and now it's the weeds that need to be cleared. Dad and mum, please come and help me!!
So today, I finally decided to apply the weed killer spray. I even had to pull out some of the weeds with my bear hands. Aiks!!
After that, I thought of preparing the next few days lunches - tender turkey breast and couscous with sultanas. While preparing, I finally found the ant trail which has been irritating me for a while. It was some ingredients in the pantry which had ants in them. I had to throw some of them out. Ohh, today.. Tara taught me a clever trick about ants! She said to keep them out of your pantry and kitchen, place a few cups of plain flour around the area. This will slowly decrease the amount of ants. I'm not sure what it is in the flour but I think it's starting to work.
After cleaning up the whole pantry and throwing out some ant-filled stuff, I finally cooked my lunch! And then the sweeping and mopping comes in. These are some of the reasons why I don't really cook often. It takes too much time and I can't stand a dirty sticky floor! :) Call me pedantic or whatever but seriously, it's sooo disgusting! Just makes me think about the boys' house - Brian and Royce's. EEEEKS!
Soo that's a summary of my Monday night..3 more weeks to New York - free from worries!
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Second time around
'Bye Anna, I'll see you all on Sunday night!'. Anna's reply, 'You might see me in the hospital.' This morning, I got a call from my brother telling me I'm an aunty a second time around. Baby Hanna's born today!! :)
6 November 2009, just 3 days away from mum's birthday. Mumsy, seems like she's an early gift to you? I wonder how she looks like. I can't wait to see her after work!
Lalalalalalal
6 November 2009, just 3 days away from mum's birthday. Mumsy, seems like she's an early gift to you? I wonder how she looks like. I can't wait to see her after work!
Lalalalalalal
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Snippets of travelling and Mo
'Having a frozen hot choc at Serendipity and thinking of u!' reads the message from G. In 5 weeks time, I will be doing the same. G is now in New York with her hubby.. it's a beautiful thing to be a part of someone's travels.
I remember a few years back when Ant went on his Europe trip. I was back in Malaysia and he texted me while he was all around Europe. There were some random bits which I remembered, like when he was tasting Belgian chocolates, travelling to Venice.. Just makes me imagine myself being there..:)
Sarah's back from Korea now. She brought back heaps of facial masks for me and she got me a really cute necklace with an Eiffel Tower and a pearl! :) I used one of the masks this week.. It was made out of royal jelly extracts and ginseng.... Was a great feeling after that. So refreshing! Hopefully my complexion becomes flawless! :P
Ohhh and my little boss is coming back this Monday. I'm gonna hear this, 'Jo....... *pause for a few seconds* can you urmmm...**pause for a few seconds**' :) He's a good guy but rather annoying when it comes to talking coz' he speaks sooooooooooooo slow! God's always testing my patience level. Just when I thought I'm one of the most patient person in my office.. I lose the plot when my little boss speaks! :P
And guess what? Almost all of the guys in my office are doing Movember. Just for those who doesn't know what it is all about. It's a charity organization which raises awareness and funds for men who are faced with depression and prostate cancer. Men grow moustaches or what Aussies call a 'mo' and everyone donates. So the guys in my office will be looking pretty ugly for the whole month of November... imagine Mister Potato, dirty Sanchez...All for a good cause!
Jerm said the boys in my urbs would need to start a year in advance to grow a slightest mo..:) Thanks to our Chinese genes! Well, Sibin's an except and James too..:) Hehe.. Please don't imagine!
I remember a few years back when Ant went on his Europe trip. I was back in Malaysia and he texted me while he was all around Europe. There were some random bits which I remembered, like when he was tasting Belgian chocolates, travelling to Venice.. Just makes me imagine myself being there..:)
Sarah's back from Korea now. She brought back heaps of facial masks for me and she got me a really cute necklace with an Eiffel Tower and a pearl! :) I used one of the masks this week.. It was made out of royal jelly extracts and ginseng.... Was a great feeling after that. So refreshing! Hopefully my complexion becomes flawless! :P
Ohhh and my little boss is coming back this Monday. I'm gonna hear this, 'Jo....... *pause for a few seconds* can you urmmm...**pause for a few seconds**' :) He's a good guy but rather annoying when it comes to talking coz' he speaks sooooooooooooo slow! God's always testing my patience level. Just when I thought I'm one of the most patient person in my office.. I lose the plot when my little boss speaks! :P
And guess what? Almost all of the guys in my office are doing Movember. Just for those who doesn't know what it is all about. It's a charity organization which raises awareness and funds for men who are faced with depression and prostate cancer. Men grow moustaches or what Aussies call a 'mo' and everyone donates. So the guys in my office will be looking pretty ugly for the whole month of November... imagine Mister Potato, dirty Sanchez...All for a good cause!
Jerm said the boys in my urbs would need to start a year in advance to grow a slightest mo..:) Thanks to our Chinese genes! Well, Sibin's an except and James too..:) Hehe.. Please don't imagine!
Sunday, November 01, 2009
'Things people do in the church congregation that annoys you
It's Monday, the day before Melbourne Cup day. Don't we just love Melbournians... a holiday just for the horses! :) This year, I'll take a miss again. As Yogi and I said before, it's too much energy and effort to get dress up for a day to be in at the fields. No seat and just simply walking here and there and having sleazebags trying to hit on anyone wearing a skirt! :P
So what's planned for tomorrow? My urbs have planned what I called - Project ULO6 Blessing Cookies. Monique, our patisserie expert and chef will be teaching us how to make fortune cookies and we'll be stuffing bible verses and words of encouragement in them. I call them Blessing Cookies! We'll be giving them out one of these days to anyone walking around the Hawthorn area...:) It's time to do something different!
Traffic to work today is sooooooooooooo good. It took me only 35 mins to get to the office. I should have slept in but my body clock automatically woke me up. Aiks!
I was driving home from church yesterday and I thought about an interesting topic to write about.
'Things people do in the church congregation that annoys you'
1) Couples that can't seem to keep their hands off each other. It's especially annoying when they are sitting right in front of you. I had a some experiences when I am trying very hard to listen to the preacher and the guy and girl keeps whispering, caressing each other's hair/face, and being all over each other. I often think, 'For goodness sake, you're in church and it's only going to be 2 hours long. So stop touching each other! No respect for God issit?!' I only think ok, I don't actually act on it.
2) People who sings really loudly and out of tune. This happened to me yesterday at church. A guy who was sitting behind me was singing so loudly and so out of sync that it tortured me.. I was trying hard to focus and he kept singing in the middle of prayer times. If his voice was good, I would not have notice it....:P But seriously, I couldn't even hear myself singing.
3) Smelly people... People who wears very damp clothings. It often happens when the laundry is not being dried properly. The problem is, once you're sitting next to a person who smells, you have no choice but to sit there. Coz' it's difficult to move somewhere else.
I can't think of anymore for the time being. I'm sorry God for not paying attention but I just find it so hard to concentrate when these happens! :P... Feel free to comment if anyone thinks of anything interesting...hehe
**You can tell I'm so unmotivated today.... is it 5.30 yet?
So what's planned for tomorrow? My urbs have planned what I called - Project ULO6 Blessing Cookies. Monique, our patisserie expert and chef will be teaching us how to make fortune cookies and we'll be stuffing bible verses and words of encouragement in them. I call them Blessing Cookies! We'll be giving them out one of these days to anyone walking around the Hawthorn area...:) It's time to do something different!
Traffic to work today is sooooooooooooo good. It took me only 35 mins to get to the office. I should have slept in but my body clock automatically woke me up. Aiks!
I was driving home from church yesterday and I thought about an interesting topic to write about.
'Things people do in the church congregation that annoys you'
1) Couples that can't seem to keep their hands off each other. It's especially annoying when they are sitting right in front of you. I had a some experiences when I am trying very hard to listen to the preacher and the guy and girl keeps whispering, caressing each other's hair/face, and being all over each other. I often think, 'For goodness sake, you're in church and it's only going to be 2 hours long. So stop touching each other! No respect for God issit?!' I only think ok, I don't actually act on it.
2) People who sings really loudly and out of tune. This happened to me yesterday at church. A guy who was sitting behind me was singing so loudly and so out of sync that it tortured me.. I was trying hard to focus and he kept singing in the middle of prayer times. If his voice was good, I would not have notice it....:P But seriously, I couldn't even hear myself singing.
3) Smelly people... People who wears very damp clothings. It often happens when the laundry is not being dried properly. The problem is, once you're sitting next to a person who smells, you have no choice but to sit there. Coz' it's difficult to move somewhere else.
I can't think of anymore for the time being. I'm sorry God for not paying attention but I just find it so hard to concentrate when these happens! :P... Feel free to comment if anyone thinks of anything interesting...hehe
**You can tell I'm so unmotivated today.... is it 5.30 yet?
Boys and Girls
I like a bit of spontaneity and last minute arrangements. Mind you it annoys me most of the time coz' I can't stand unorganized people. But sometimes, it's nice to have some unpredictability in life!
This weekend, I was suppose to be running errands and nothing else. But the girls and I suddenly ended up with a fully packed weekend. It started at 8am and we only planned dinner the day before. We went to Riva to celebrate YL's very early birthday dinner and ended spotting some 'celebrities' in the radio industry. I saw Hamish (the other half of Hamish and Andy show) - my colleague, Steph's eye candy and Fifi Box...:) And the night ended with dessert at QS's favourite restaurant - Mama Vittoria's.
There's something I realised about this year. I have turned into some sorta of a nomad. I have lost count of how many times I've slept over in my girlfriends' homes. I'm a PR in Yogi's home. As I said previously, I even have a key to her place! There's a little drawer which has all my clothes in there. There's toothbrush and a towel which are for Jolyn's use whenever I'm over..:) I even leave my perfume which Yogi is free to use as much as she likes.
Last night I slept over at Ai Mee's after the dinner as I was too tired to drive home. Ai Mee gave me a little travel toothbrush to keep in my car in case of any more sleepovers. I've even learnt to keep a few pairs of shoes in my car in case of the sleepovers. Yes, I'm a typical girl when it comes to this. I need my shoes to match with my clothes! :) And for as long as I remember, I've never worn so many of my friends' clothes within a year! Thankfully for friends who are almost the same size except for Yogi.. Goodness, I feel like an obese person! :P
This morning, I had a call from a very close friend from Msia. We often speak to each other but to get a call in the morning was quite strange from him... I thought to myself, 'Must be girl-problems!' I was spot on...:) Hahaha.. yesyes, boys don't understand girls and vice versa.
I'm sure you've heard this a million times : 'When I ask her whether she's alright? She said yes. So I left it as it is. But then it turns out that she's not alright. Why are girls so difficult!! Why don't they just tell you the truth about how they feel. Guys are not mind-readers!!'
And then the girl will say, 'I expect him to be more sensitive towards my feelings. It's so OBVIOUS that I'm upset but he still ask the obvious/stupid question - Are you alright? Do you expect me to say I'm not? So I'll say I'm alright and test and see what he will do'.
We all know and hear of these all too well. I for one am a girl myself. Just a little reminder ! :P Although I sometimes get the comment that I think like a boy!...Perhaps the bashing and pinching had something to do with it? :P Ah well, I blame it on the cousins I grew up with... they were mostly boys from my mum's side. And I grew up being close to my brother and my nephew - Wernie. So I do understand where they are coming from.. not always of course! Remember, I'm still a girl!
Well, girls are indeed complicated beings. We have monthly emotional temperaments.. don't mess around with a girl during that time of the month. And one of my boss used to say, 'Don't mess around with a pregnant woman as well. Her hormones are everywhere!' It's definitely true that some crankiness is manifested at that time but sometimes we blame it too much on these that it becomes excuses for our emotional state of mind. I like what Kenny Sia once said, PMS = Poor Man Suffering..:)
A friend once told me that he records his girlfriend's monthly timings in his phone calender as a form of alert. It comes up as the warning times just so he will try not to offend her too much! :P
I thought it was very funny but quite a smart idea as well.
Boys on the other hand can be quite dense and insenstive. They fail to see things beyond the surface. Well, that's why they are called 'visual beings!' But when trouble hits, the typical guys' reaction is to avoid. They dislike confrontations. And many times, the male pride and ego takes over and they refuse to bend. There's some exceptions though. I've come across guys who somehow over-analyse everything and anything under the sun. They look into things that are not even existent.
But the things that makes boys and girls different are also the things that make boys and girls attracted to one another. So be it the good or the bad, God created us differently for a purpose. If we could read each other's mind, we will also lose the excitement of discovering the hidden facets of an individual.
Relationships are challenging! Be it romantic ones or friendships. The bottom line is as Ps Matt often says...' because we are dealing with human beings which is the hardest commodity on this planet!' :)
I've learnt heaps along the way of being a listener, a mentor and an observer of relationships. So I hope that I will bring great things to my next relationship.. As a girl, I will try as much as possible to speak the truth and not expect him to read my mind.... :) Let's see how I go in the future!
*** 5 more weeks to NY. I just realised something today.. I don't know how much I will miss Dana while I'm away!
This weekend, I was suppose to be running errands and nothing else. But the girls and I suddenly ended up with a fully packed weekend. It started at 8am and we only planned dinner the day before. We went to Riva to celebrate YL's very early birthday dinner and ended spotting some 'celebrities' in the radio industry. I saw Hamish (the other half of Hamish and Andy show) - my colleague, Steph's eye candy and Fifi Box...:) And the night ended with dessert at QS's favourite restaurant - Mama Vittoria's.
There's something I realised about this year. I have turned into some sorta of a nomad. I have lost count of how many times I've slept over in my girlfriends' homes. I'm a PR in Yogi's home. As I said previously, I even have a key to her place! There's a little drawer which has all my clothes in there. There's toothbrush and a towel which are for Jolyn's use whenever I'm over..:) I even leave my perfume which Yogi is free to use as much as she likes.
Last night I slept over at Ai Mee's after the dinner as I was too tired to drive home. Ai Mee gave me a little travel toothbrush to keep in my car in case of any more sleepovers. I've even learnt to keep a few pairs of shoes in my car in case of the sleepovers. Yes, I'm a typical girl when it comes to this. I need my shoes to match with my clothes! :) And for as long as I remember, I've never worn so many of my friends' clothes within a year! Thankfully for friends who are almost the same size except for Yogi.. Goodness, I feel like an obese person! :P
This morning, I had a call from a very close friend from Msia. We often speak to each other but to get a call in the morning was quite strange from him... I thought to myself, 'Must be girl-problems!' I was spot on...:) Hahaha.. yesyes, boys don't understand girls and vice versa.
I'm sure you've heard this a million times : 'When I ask her whether she's alright? She said yes. So I left it as it is. But then it turns out that she's not alright. Why are girls so difficult!! Why don't they just tell you the truth about how they feel. Guys are not mind-readers!!'
And then the girl will say, 'I expect him to be more sensitive towards my feelings. It's so OBVIOUS that I'm upset but he still ask the obvious/stupid question - Are you alright? Do you expect me to say I'm not? So I'll say I'm alright and test and see what he will do'.
We all know and hear of these all too well. I for one am a girl myself. Just a little reminder ! :P Although I sometimes get the comment that I think like a boy!...Perhaps the bashing and pinching had something to do with it? :P Ah well, I blame it on the cousins I grew up with... they were mostly boys from my mum's side. And I grew up being close to my brother and my nephew - Wernie. So I do understand where they are coming from.. not always of course! Remember, I'm still a girl!
Well, girls are indeed complicated beings. We have monthly emotional temperaments.. don't mess around with a girl during that time of the month. And one of my boss used to say, 'Don't mess around with a pregnant woman as well. Her hormones are everywhere!' It's definitely true that some crankiness is manifested at that time but sometimes we blame it too much on these that it becomes excuses for our emotional state of mind. I like what Kenny Sia once said, PMS = Poor Man Suffering..:)
A friend once told me that he records his girlfriend's monthly timings in his phone calender as a form of alert. It comes up as the warning times just so he will try not to offend her too much! :P
I thought it was very funny but quite a smart idea as well.
Boys on the other hand can be quite dense and insenstive. They fail to see things beyond the surface. Well, that's why they are called 'visual beings!' But when trouble hits, the typical guys' reaction is to avoid. They dislike confrontations. And many times, the male pride and ego takes over and they refuse to bend. There's some exceptions though. I've come across guys who somehow over-analyse everything and anything under the sun. They look into things that are not even existent.
But the things that makes boys and girls different are also the things that make boys and girls attracted to one another. So be it the good or the bad, God created us differently for a purpose. If we could read each other's mind, we will also lose the excitement of discovering the hidden facets of an individual.
Relationships are challenging! Be it romantic ones or friendships. The bottom line is as Ps Matt often says...' because we are dealing with human beings which is the hardest commodity on this planet!' :)
I've learnt heaps along the way of being a listener, a mentor and an observer of relationships. So I hope that I will bring great things to my next relationship.. As a girl, I will try as much as possible to speak the truth and not expect him to read my mind.... :) Let's see how I go in the future!
*** 5 more weeks to NY. I just realised something today.. I don't know how much I will miss Dana while I'm away!
Monday, October 19, 2009
7 weeks and still counting down..
It's 7 weeks away. The AUD dollars is strengthening against USD. I thank God for my colleagues. Sometimes God uses the people you least expect to bless you. Last Friday, the AUD hit 92cents. Everyone was telling me to consider changing really soon and to stop being greedy. My manager even came up to me on Friday afternoon with an article from The Australian about the predictions of how high AUD will go. He told me to hold off for a while but not too long coz' it's always uncertain. Everyone kept telling me, 'Jo, stop being greedy. The rate is really good so you should convert your dollars now'.... **Nagging voice** ..:P
Observing the dollars is like watching the share market. I come in every morning to work and go straight to XE and the ANZ travel card website just to see how much I can get out of the money I have..:)
This morning, I came to work and saw a cut out article about New York on my desk. Travelling on a budget and making the most out of the trip there. Andre and Tara cut it out for me... how thoughtful! Ant has also been constantly sending me links and notes about New York. I think I'll be quite well-informed by the time Dec 9 comes! :) wohoooo..
Ohhh... and I emailed Sarah Choi. She's all the way in Korea! I miss her so much. You feel the difference when someone close to you is not here..Bleh! Can't wait for her to get back and tell me about all the great things she did in Korea!
I had a good catch up with a few people over the weekend. I also slept over Yogi's place on Friday night. It was a great time just hanging out with Cyndy and Yogi. Just like the good old days when we first came out of uni, struggling so hard to find our feet in the big bad working world! :) I can't ever say enough thank-yous everytime I think of both of you. The extend and support you've given me have been endless! :) And all the stuff ups we did together! Guess what? We locked ourselves out of the house. Well, more like Yogi and Cyndy forgot the keys coz' I drove instead of them. Looks like it's not gonna happen again coz' I have one of the keys now!! :) Hehe.. Yogi, I'M HOME!!
Then I caught up with Jono and Yan on Saturday. It's been a while since I have actually done a one on one catch up with them... It was refreshing! :) Yan cracks me up big time with her stories of clumsiness.. ! Yan, if you're reading this.. don't kill me okie!? I still love the story about you pouring water...! :P Muahaha.. And Jono, it felt like a million years since we actually caught up. But it was good to pick up where we left off....I almost forgot how dramatic your family life was but I always believe that God has something great planned out for you!
Ahhhh.. Oct has been a quiet month for me. No complains though. It's been a while since I have my weekend's pretty much free to do whatever I feel like.. So for now, I'm counting down and just a calender check on what I have planned in the coming weeks :
Weekly plans:
24 Oct - nothing planned.. probably get a haircut from Anna's mum. Yayy! They are here now!! I haven't had a trim since April. Alvin once told me, I'm a hairdresser's worst customer. No loyalty and no business from me! :P
31 Oct - car service appointment (MONEY MONEY MONEY) and dental appointment.
7 Nov - nothing planned yet
14 Nov - Endota Spa and massage with Yogimama. Yayyy!! I'm using my Red Balloon voucher.
21 Nov - possibly a pastoral retreat. If it happens
28 Nov - DAD AND MUM'S ARRIVING!! WOhoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
5 Dec - Peggen and Hau Wei's wedding
9 Dec - I'm leaving on the jetplane ... to New York!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
........I did it again
Do you wish that you could somehow managed to contain all the emotions and only let them out in your time alone? I always imagine, if only I could hold everything together until I get home or get into my car. Away from the sight of any human being, a place for just me and God.
Many times, crying seems like a weakness rather then a demonstration of emotions and a person with a heart. Perhaps, God is trying to remind me that I am still very much human. I still need Him and He has provided the support around me..
This morning, I made a call to my neighbour trying to sort out some things. One thing led to another and we had an outburst. He placed me in a position as though I am all at fault when in the first place, I was being taken for granted.**They stole electricity from my house again! I learnt how to be assertive and firm. I told him, I am calling to get back what was meant to be mine. When I hung up the call, my colleagues asked me whether everything was alright.
One of my colleagues Sean who sits opposite my cubicle and has been very much like a fatherly-figure asked me how I was. **Please don't get the wrong picture. He is in his mid-50s! I explained the whole situation to him and before I know it, tears started trickling down. He told me to get some water in the kitchen. I walked away from my desk and hurried into the kitchen. He came along... and spoke to me. He told me that it's a learning curve. Learning to be stronger each time challenges like this happens. He told me that he was made redundant from another tv station 3 months ago but it didn't break his spirit to still do what he is best at doing! He said, 'Jolyn, you're a great person and people like you will go far..' He left me with a simple phrase..- somewhat relating to people like Joan and my neighbour, 'dragons' - 'The dragons will eventually slay themselves'. In the end, I know that everything will somehow work out... If God can bring someone like this to encourage me, what more will He do!?
Sean could have chosen to be bitter and angry but he chose otherwise. He is one of the nicest and most patient person ever. One life's challenge never stop him from treating anyone with kind words and encouragement.
I don't know why I reacted that way. Maybe because I have left it boiling inside of me with so much frustration... I felt so weak for bursting out in tears at work. Believe me, it's not the first time. Urmm, I think I have cried about 4 times at work. Twice is because of Joan, the other time was when Andre told me he was leaving and now this! **Sigh***..Bohoooo.. I feel like a weakling! Ah well, I believe everything happens for a reason..
For now, I will trust that God will look after everything..
Many times, crying seems like a weakness rather then a demonstration of emotions and a person with a heart. Perhaps, God is trying to remind me that I am still very much human. I still need Him and He has provided the support around me..
This morning, I made a call to my neighbour trying to sort out some things. One thing led to another and we had an outburst. He placed me in a position as though I am all at fault when in the first place, I was being taken for granted.**They stole electricity from my house again! I learnt how to be assertive and firm. I told him, I am calling to get back what was meant to be mine. When I hung up the call, my colleagues asked me whether everything was alright.
One of my colleagues Sean who sits opposite my cubicle and has been very much like a fatherly-figure asked me how I was. **Please don't get the wrong picture. He is in his mid-50s! I explained the whole situation to him and before I know it, tears started trickling down. He told me to get some water in the kitchen. I walked away from my desk and hurried into the kitchen. He came along... and spoke to me. He told me that it's a learning curve. Learning to be stronger each time challenges like this happens. He told me that he was made redundant from another tv station 3 months ago but it didn't break his spirit to still do what he is best at doing! He said, 'Jolyn, you're a great person and people like you will go far..' He left me with a simple phrase..- somewhat relating to people like Joan and my neighbour, 'dragons' - 'The dragons will eventually slay themselves'. In the end, I know that everything will somehow work out... If God can bring someone like this to encourage me, what more will He do!?
Sean could have chosen to be bitter and angry but he chose otherwise. He is one of the nicest and most patient person ever. One life's challenge never stop him from treating anyone with kind words and encouragement.
I don't know why I reacted that way. Maybe because I have left it boiling inside of me with so much frustration... I felt so weak for bursting out in tears at work. Believe me, it's not the first time. Urmm, I think I have cried about 4 times at work. Twice is because of Joan, the other time was when Andre told me he was leaving and now this! **Sigh***..Bohoooo.. I feel like a weakling! Ah well, I believe everything happens for a reason..
For now, I will trust that God will look after everything..
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