Glory, Glory Man United!

Song of the Day: Glory, Glory Man United!


First blood to MU. Brilliant goal from Ronaldo. I didn't even realized it went in (as Petr Cech was like rooted to the spot) until everyone went berserk.

And then, we had 3 chances to double (even triple!) the score but it was not to be (You know us, we have a flair for the dramatic. Nothing comes easy in our club). Eventually, Lampard equalised (Hah! Luck!). All is tied at 1-1.

2nd half. Extra time. All the while MU still managed to hung on despite Chelsea having several missed chances of their own. Could this be fate that MU was meant to win it?

Penalties: The bane of all fan's existence. Seriously, one could suffer from heart attack. I am ashamed to say, I wasn't able to watch it live myself. I know, I'm such a coward =(

ARGH!! Ronaldo, the evergreen penalty taker for MU missed?!?!?!? At this point, it looked like it was not to be MU's night.

But of course, John Terry did the Beckham thingy, slipped and his shot came off the post. I feel sorry for him but this seriously meant that MU was destined to win (it's like written in the stars!).

And we did! Thanks to Van der Sar saving Anelka's spotkick. Scenes of jubilation and ecstacy erupted amongst the MU players in the stadium (and I'm sure throughout MU fans all over the world!).

Manchester United: Champions of Europe

Enough said.

Quando, Quando, Quando

Song of the Day: Michael Buble - Quando, Quando, Quando

I love, love this song. It's by far the best version of the song that I've heard. Sorry, Mr. Englebert Humperdinck. Imagine that name. Sort of like Humphrey Bogart. I wonder how they got through high school?

Here's a little Italian language lesson for you. Quando means "when" in English. So, in the lyrics what they're singing is actually,

"Tell me when will you be mine? Tell me, when, when ,when..."

When you put it like that, the song kinda lost it's mystical allure and bordering on the "corny" side. Still, it's one of my all-time favs.

About my mid-week "breakdown", don't worry so much about it. I'm getting more emo day by day (sorta like all those pent-up emotions garnered through my teenage years bubbling to the surface) and I reckon it's a tad healthy. I've always wondered if my heart was set in stone since I've always acted so aloof and oblivious to just about everything in my life.

Anyway, I guess the reason I'm feeling better is because I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel (so to speak). My mid-sem results came back and it turned out that I did much better than I expected. In fact, I kinda scored the highest on 2 subjects in class *whoop of delight*. But then reality sank in and I told myself, "What's the use if you scored the best marks but still not getting a job offer?"

And then my whirlwind happiness comes crashing down immediately *sinks head*.

Aside from my emotions jumbling around like a mini roller-coaster (high, low, high, low), I've got assignments to keep me occupied lately. Totally boring subject and I shall stay away from it.

Jason Castro (finally!) got booted out from A. Idol. Though I'm a fan of his, I dare say it's his time. Also, he did not do himself much favour by choosing the wrong songs and forgetting the lyrics during the Final Four performance. Anyway, here's to a remarkable run, dreadlocks!

To all my friends (and family) that supported me and gave me encouragement in my time of need, I'm so blessed to have you in my life. Thank you!

*hugs everyone*

We Used To Be Friends

Song of the Day: Dandy Warhols - We Used To Be Friends

Ah. Friends. Who can live without them?

Ah. Friends. Who can live with them?

Two contradicting phrases and yet true. Friends bring out the best in all of us and yet, most of the time our worst.

The reason I chose this song is because I just spent my past 24 hours marathon-ing on Veronica Mars Season 2. I LOVE this show but I found the 2nd season somewhat lacking in a few elements that made my-watching-the-1st-season one of my few highlights of Brissy life here (I know, I'm the saddest kid on the planet). My happiness aside, Veronica's sassy, sharp-tongue, witty and adorable character never fail to amaze me. Kristen Bell should have gotten an EMMY for this role!

Another reason I chose that song is because lately, I realize my friends base is severely depleting. The lyrics to that song is so totally MY LIFE. Let's just say I know a few people whom I had thought (foolishly) that we could be like BFFs (OK. Fine. Not that extreme. More like hang-out-buddies) had decided out-of-the-blue that I'm not in their We-have-plans-tonight! SMS list anymore. Well, screw that. Do I need friends like this in my life? Bingo. The answer is a big N-O.

I hate pretenders. And being ignored. The latter more severely. And so I tell myself, Why do I even try? If they don't care enough about me, why the hell should I care?

A wise man once said, "No man is an island."

But I say, "You can't depend on anyone but yourself."

And ain't that the truth.

I'm In A Shitty Mood

Song of the Day: Von - I'm In A Shitty Mood (self-composed)

I'm in a truly bizarre mood. I just ranted about my fed up-ness with life in general and now I'm in the mood to tell you about new songs that you just had to have in your Ipod.

All this while I'm still having a massive headache and was contemplating on calling an early night. Also, I'm supposed to be doing my assignment. HELP!

[shakes head]

Anyway here goes,

1. Estelle ft Kanye West - American Boy
2. Duffy - Mercy
3. Gabriella Cilmi - Sweet About Me
4. Leona Lewis - Better In Time
5. Mika - Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)

That's all. I'm gonna soak and wallow my misery in Suzanne Brockmann now. A good romance novel is my answer to theraphy.

I Got Rhythm

Song Of The Day: Ella Fitzgerald - I Got Rhythm

My song of the day is SO a farce. I have absolutely no rhythm much less music at all.

I'm so fed up. With everything! Nothing's been going according to my best-laid plans and I'm absolutely FED UP. What the hell do I have to do to find a god-damn job nowadays??!! I'm on the Dean's List, I'm (was, technically) active in clubs and societies and I speak 3 languages! Jeez, I seriously don't understand why those ass-hole recruiters can't comprehend what I have to offer them!

I'm sorry for lashing out like this but I am so seriously fed up with this whole getting-a-job process. I even have one company not bothering to give me the courtesy call-back to tell me that I was unsuccessful after a phone interview. After 1 month of waiting, I have given up.

Now, I know what it feels like to be a struggling actor in Hollywood.

On a brighter note,

1. Jack won So You Think You Can Dance
2. Jason Castro is still in American Idol
3. Manchester United is in the UEFA Champions League Final

God. My happiness factor lies in reality TV.

I am such a LOSER.

Picture Of You

Song of the Day: Boyzone - Picture of You

On a sidenote, this song was (and still is!) one of my favourite songs from those high school days. Ah... boybands. They are an endangered species now (and will remain so for the near future) but I can't help but relive those teeny-booper days I once had now and then. BSB, NSYNC, 98 Degrees, Westlife... Did I miss any out?

I just spent the last hour watching "So You Think You Can Dance" Australian edition and now it's down to the Top 4. Next week is gonna be the finale and I'm gonna spend all my phone credit voting for my absolute favourite dancer of all, Brisbane-r Jack Chambers.

I just found out he's bloody 19 years old. Dammit.

To vote: SMS JACK to 19 10 10

He just have to be Australia's favourite dancer or else I will.... [use your imagination]

Alone

Song of the Day: Heart - Alone

"There was never yet an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility. Inside of the dullest exterior there is a drama, a comedy, and a tragedy"

Mark Twain

You've obviously never met me, Mr. Twain.

Reflections and philosophy aside, let me just breathe a heavy sigh of relief. SIGH. Thank God it's over. 2 exams back-to-back really can take the toll outta you and yours truly have suffered headache, stress, trauma (Yes!) and bitchiness in the process of these past 2 days. But all is not well just yet. Next week? Another exam and the week after next? Assignments.

Gosh. Why did I ever say I love being a student?!?!

The best part of this week was the fact that Jason Castro is still in American Idol. Phew. In a theme week of Mariah Carey, one would expect him to crash-and-burn but he came out blazing (though not entirely hot) with his usual guitar and laidback style. Next week would be Andrew Lloyd Webber theme and here's to hoping he would sing "Any Dream Will Do" and nailing it to perfection!

Another good part of the week happened just today. So, ladies and gentleman, mark your calendar: 19th July 2008. That is the day that I'll be flying back to my dearest homeland. Wahaha. After months of deliberation, I finally decided to purchase a return ticket come-what-may. Not that I'm placing too much hope of getting a job here in Oz anyway. This is such a bad time to be graduating overall (Read: recession). All the best to everyone finding a job out there.

I was thinking of the very 1st meal that I will have as soon as I land in KL and you know what came to my mind? Hokkien Mi. Yup. That noodle with starchy, black sauce. Yummy. I miss it soooo muuucchhhh. Dessert? Tau Foo Fa. As you can see, I've been planning my homecoming for some time now =)

I'm too lazy to do anything right now. Just finished the exam a few hours ago and then had pizza in the uni (pleasant meal accompanied by jazz music from a piano) and then watched a slightly disappointing movie (Killing Me Softly) and then, here I am.

I should read for my next exam on Thurs. But I can't seem to stare at the book long enough for me to even get an ounce of knowledge into my fogged brain. For the moment, I'm giving up. I shall read my novel and hope that tomorrow will be a better day.

4 minutes

Song of the Day: Madonna ft Justin Timberlake - 4 minutes

I shall try my damndest to finish this blog in 4 minutes!

So, I broke the resolution (of blogging everyday). Big deal. They are meant to be broken anyway.

Argh! I have 2 mid sems coming up this week and I can barely concentrate on studying. There are a couple of unwanted thoughts in my mind lately which kept wandering far and beyond while I'm supposed to be studying diligently. Sigh. Let's not go there. I'm stressed out as it is.

Joy, joy! Manchester United beat Arsenal on Sun night which I was fortunate enough to watch live on my very own Dell. Wahaha. Thanks to Sopcast and the wonders of P2P. Internet, I owe my life (and my sanity) to you. Coupled with Chelsea drawing with Wigan on Mon, I would arrogantly say that the title is heading back to MU. But you know what would be better? Being the Champions of Europe. Now, that would be the icing on the cake.

Speaking of cake, we had a pretty wild and rambunctious steamboat (cum birthday party) last Sat nite. Things got a little out of hand (no, I don't mean chairs being throw around) in the sense that people were to eager to play the role of matchmaker. Anyway, I now learned my lesson. Stay away from other people's business.

Ok. My 4 minutes is up. But damn, I still haven't mentioned about my brother's wedding and me having to buy 2 dresses for the occasion (OMG! This is such a catastrophe!). I hope the note of sarcasm was obvious enough.

But there's always later.

Where The Boys Are

Song of the Day: Connie Francis - Where the Boys Are

I decided to go way back in time and select this old crooning song. Not to mention, the title has constantly been pondering in my mind (much to my annoyance!) in my endless search for romance. Is it too much to ask for a fairytale romance where boy meets girl, falls head-over-heels in love and lives happily ever after? I guess it is. Before you go and get any ideas about the song title, I'm not a boy-crazy and SAD (Single And Desperate) individual. I just like to keep my options open (Hey, it is a big big ocean full of exotic fishes after all).

Since it is the weekend, I don't think I wanna waste precious moments contemplating on the "Why?" or "When?" or "What if?" of my romance status (or lack thereof). In fact, it is a subject I wanna stay far, far away from (today, at least).

My apartment will be hosting a steambot tonight. What turned out to be a simple birthday party plan escalated into a full blown come-one-come-all potluck event featuring all our friends. But I'm not too excited about it. In fact, nothing much gets me excited (in every sense of the word) anymore these days. Am I losing my touch? Maybe it's just because I miss the sense of belonging within a gang of friends comfortable in each other's skins. Needless to say, I don't feel BELONGED here.

I slept the night before with a nagging worry in my mind: MY FUTURE. Or lack of it at the moment. I woke up in the morning with the same thought and it doesn't soothe my sour mood. I am done ruing (Err.. from the word rue?) about what could have been or what would happen. I have to make things happen myself! My future lies in my own hands!So, in other to appease my troubled mind, I devised a backup plan just in case I could not secure a job right after graduation. No, it does not involve me getting attached to an angmo (and gain PR status by de facto) or marry a rich old heir either. Sorry to dissapoint but I just can't imagine marrying a guy for his money (even if he is tall, dark and handsome). I want to spend $$ which I make with my own hard work. That's how I define success.

So, what if along my career progression, I neglected a few of my social needs (Read: relationships). That's the price I am willing to pay because at the end of the day, you're the only person you can depend on. Anyway come what may, I hope that in time, I can honestly say that I am HAPPY with who I am and what I've become.

I might have been lying when I said I'm willing to ignore my ticking biological clock and forego having a family. Cause truth is, I really, really do want to have a child. More than I desire to have a man for the rest of my life. If none the takers, I will just adopt. Hah!

Is this normal? Haha. In this age and generation, nothing can be considered unconventional anymore.

Oops I Did It Again

Song of the Day: Britney Spears - Oops I Did It Again




It's not that I have suddenly developed an affinity for the Teen-Princess-Gone-Haywire-Now-Trying-Acting Miss Spears. But I found it apt to name my post today just that since, after all, Oops, I REALLY did it again!


What did I do, you may ask? What else but the bane of woman's existence (and most notably our bank accounts!), SHOPPING!!!


I may argue that it's retail therapy since I have been feeling a little down lately and nothing much is happening (on the career front) but let's face it. Come rain or shine, women can't be drawn (or dragged!) away from shopping, be it for clothes, accessories or even (gasp!) household products. Believe me, I know girlfriends who find pleasure in shopping around for pots and pans.


The best (smartest?) kind of shopping expedition (I came, I saw and I conquered!) would be to have a list of your shopping needs. I have always been a victim of random shopping, often buying stuffs that I thought I needed at the moment but turned out to be worthless in the end. So on the agenda today was 1. scarf and 2. tights. I even budgeted $20 for it.


The city is often my "sanctuary" for my shopping expeditions as there are many bargain shops around like Valley Girl (my fav!), Supre, Temt and Cotton On. Anyway, to cut the long story short, here's what I bought today:

The material is soooo soft and the colour so eye-soothing... Pink isn't usually my fav colour but what the heck? I can be girly when I want to. Especially now that it's winter =)

Due to unforeseen circumstances (like the slow-as-snail internet connection right now), I won't be able to showcase the tights that I bought today. Stupid. Just uploading that one picture above took me 5mins. And I'm not a patient person when it comes to technology. Tights have been making a steady comeback in the fashion world today. My mum would be happy that she gets to wear her purple leggings bought in the 80's again very soon.=P

So... OOPS I DID IT AGAIN... I promised myself no more shopping after CNY but being me, I obviously can't help it (again!).

Now, do you understand why I need to earn lots of $$$?

JP Morgan, Lehman Brothers, CALL ME!

Blackbird

Song of the Day: Beatles - Blackbird

This is going to be my new April Fool resolution: Blog everyday.

You would think the hardest part would be to think of something to crap about but I disagree. Instead, I think the hardest part would be thinking of the Song of the Day. What? With my ultra large music collection, I would think this would be an easy feat. Yeah, right.

My day started off on a wrong foot as I woke up earlier than I intended too. With eyes blazing and head spinning, the first thing I did when I woke up was .... Nope, not too brush teeth or tidy the bed but ... check the results from yesterday's MU match against Roma. Seeing that MU made it safely into the semi finals put me in a jovial mood and I strut towards the bathroom for my morning routine. Then, I made myself a hot cup of cocoa and enjoyed it while browsing the net. Recently, I have become a trader. Yeap, that's right. A trader who trades in the sharemarket. Haha. I joined this JP Morgan (potential employer?) competition where all contestants are given $$ to trade shares. At the end of the month, the person whose portfolio is most superior wins $$. So I figured, Why Not? though I wasn't much of a trader. That explains why my portfolio is registering a negative amount at the moment. So much for getting my hands on that $$.

Brisbane has been chilly lately (which I like!) and it took me a while to decide what to wear. Honestly, I have become so fickle-minded these days. Signs of old age. I almost forgot that I had an exam today during 1st period. Honest to God, it slipped my mind while I was praying the night before. Anyhow, it turned out to be a piece of cake. I shouldn't have spent so much time studying it. Ish. Then, I had 2 hours to kill which I spent it luxuriating (Is that even a word?) on the green, green grass of UQ. Ah... this is what uni is all about. I'm so gonna miss UQ come July.

I could go on recapping my day but let's face it... it's boring stuff. Even I nearly fell asleep writing it. So, where do we go from here?

MU vs Barcelona in the semi's. Hmm... Would this be Milan all over again? I had such high hopes last season but it all came crashing down on the 2nd leg. Needless to say, my heart was broken. Argh! But Barcelona hasn't been at their top gear lately and in contrast MU has been in spectacular form ('cept for the hiccup on Sun against Middleborough). Anyway, I do fancy MU's chances to get to the final and face up against either Liv or Chelsea. Maybe (Do I dare to hope?) this would be MU's year again! Bring on '99!

I had an random thought while I was watching Getaway on TV earlier. Where would I wanna spend my honeymoon? The practical side of me (save $$) would say, "Aiya, just go Bali niya" but the romantic side was saying, "Italy? Spain? France?" I was also thinking of how exotic it would be to honeymoon in Egypt. But in the end, I would want a European experience. Spain, especially. With the historical buildings, the pretty sidewalks, the Old World aura, the wonderfull aroma of food and the man you love walking beside you, isn't it romantic??

Not bad a blogpost considering I have nary an interesting thing to say today. I better stop while I'm ahead =)

Bleeding Love

Song of the Day: Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love

I know, I know... WHERE THE HELL HAVE I BEEN?

My sincerest apologies to you, my dear blog. I have no excuses except that I've been really, really, REALLY not in the mood to blog. Ergo, nothing to write about.

It's already April. Fast forward another 3 months and I would have been a GRADUATE. Gosh! After nearly 20 years of student life, I can't comprehend the fact of me being a working adult. On that front, NO, I still haven't gotten a job offer (though I'm trying my damnedest to secure one). Damn, what the hell are those companies looking for? SUPERWOMAN? My resume is impeccable (if I must say so myself). Anyway, enough of the saddest story of my life.

Oh wait, is there even a good story in my life right now? I'm neck deep in midterm tests, 2 assignments and countless (hopefully) interviews to prepare for. April is turning into a MONTH OF MADNESS. But here I am still blogging away. I figured I owe it to you after all the neglect to at least pen down some of my pent-up emotions due to "stress" from uni.

C'mon. Me? Stressed? Yeah right.That word does not exist in my dictionary. I am as HAPPY-GO-LUCKY as a hippie can be. Speaking of hippie, the love-of-my-life idol, Jason Castro scored again on the homefront. And he did it on the most bizarre (and unexpected) song choice, Somewhere Over The Rainbow. I was expecting the Judy Garland version to come out from him but I was mildly surprised to hear a ukelele version of it. Truth be told, I can't understand why everyone is singing his praises over that song (Sure, it's good but was it THAT good?). But, being a lifetime fan, I shall not complain on Simon's "Fantastic!" remark. Speaking of Idol, I so wanna watch IDOL GIVES BACK! Why can't I be studying in America?

Actually, I have an exam tomorrow. Talk about my bad timing. But I have this pre-exam syndrome which has been a pain in the ass for recent years. 1 day before the test, I lost all interest in studying, even to the point of watching movies or reading novels to pass the time. I can't help it! Is this complacency? I listed that as one of my weaknesses during my interview preparation. The other one is, (drum roll) PROCRASTINATION, which I'm willing to bet almost every person my age is guilty of. My other weakness, laziness. Haha. But I doubt prospective employers would wanna hear that.

I guess it's time to revert back to my books. I need to keep up appearances after all =)

Blue Bayou

Song of the Day: Linda Ronstadt - Blue Bayou

"Saving nickels, saving dimes

Working till the sun don't shine

Looking forward to happier times

On the Blue Bayou"

If only all of us have our own Blue Bayou where happiness lies. I wish I know where is mine =)

As you've probably already figured out by now, my blogging rate is seriously deteriorating of late. I just lack the inspiration and the desire to blog anything, even if something interesting is happening in my life. Not that I'm suggesting it is, cause it ain't.

For the 1st time in my entire life, I was interested in the outcome of the general election just held yesterday in Malaysia. I never knew politics could be so exciting but this year, with the racial tensions hoopla and practically all my peers having a say at it, I decided to jump on the bandwagon. I came back home at 12am yesterday after a dismal showing of 10,000 BC and I found myself hooked in front of the laptop, searching for latest news of the results. I couldn't stay away for 2 hours and everytime I decided to lay my head to rest, some exciting results were announced. It turned out I wasn't the only one among my friends who were diligently following the election process. My MSN chatroom had turned into some political forum for a while. Haha. I guess this is an indication of us becoming ADULTS. 5 years ago, I couldn't care less about politics at all.

Speaking of politics, I guess I should shut up now or else risk being shut down by the gov. But I think at this time, they have more important things to worry about (like the fact they lost 5 states to the opposition). Anyway, yesterday was a day of surprises alright. Both MU and Chelsea lost respectively in their FA Cup ties. The saving grace for MU was that Chelsea's lost was significantly more humiliating as they lost to some unknown 2nd tier team. Haha. Thanks Chelsea! If we can't have it, you can't either =)

So, it's going to be Week 3 soon. Time is really running by swiftly. I remembered a time before I left Malaysia, blogging about the same thing. But that time, I was dreading the time to leave Msia. Now, I'm dreading the time to leave Oz. Such a turnaround, I'll say.

The truth is, I'm ambivalent about staying in Oz. On one hand, I like the simplistic and laid-back lifestyle of the Aussies. On the other, I want to be close to my family and friends. Then, there's my career to think about. Needless to say, Australia ain't exactly the financial capital of the world so opportunities are rare. The point is moot anyhow. In order to stay and work in Oz, I need a PR and we all know that isn't a possibility. If somehow I can charm an angmo dude to fall in love with me within the next 3 months and grant me de facto PR, then it might become a reality. But we all know, my romantic prowesses ain't exactly my strongest "quality".

Anyway, my future career is all I can think about these days. I really, really want to secure a job before I graduate or else I would deem myself "incompetent". Such high standards I know. Some might say it's still a bit early to look for a job but the best jobs (investment banking) are as competitive as it gets and you really have to step up a notch to get that "dream" job. I want to be earning $7k a month!! I want to be a part of Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse, or even Macquarie and be the envy of all my peers!

Sigh, sometimes I think my ego is my biggest enemy. Actually, most of the time it has proven to be my downfall. So,

Screw you, EGO!

Walking On The Sun

Song of the Day: Smashmouth - Walking On The Sun




Today is figuratively, a walk on the sun. It's bloody 38 degrees outside and I'm barely surviving with my stand fan (full blast and facing me) here in my really hot room. Phew. And ironically, there's an aircon in my room but I can't even use it. Oh, winter, where art thou?


Anyway, I'm back to my blogging mood since uni is just around the corner. On Mon, it's back to the lecture theatres and ogling cute college dudes for me. Not for the 1st time in this week, I'm wondering where the hell my summer has gone. Has it been 3 months since last sem ended already?


I'm kinda looking forward to uni. Sorta. I want to be back to my productive ways again. Plus, it's the last sem! This is it. The beginning of an end to my student life. I HAVE to make it GREAT. Anyhow, there's still the weekend to enjoy but with this kind of weather, it's kinda hard to do just that.


So, the new American Idol season is here. Whoo-hoo! I have been diligently following it ever since and I have to say, it doesn't get old for me. It is Season 7 after all but I still like it. I like the spar between Simon and Ryan, the rags-to-riches stories of the contestants, the group performances and of course, the chance to improve my musical education. And again, Idol never failed me. During the Top 12 Men night, I discovered an oldie but goldie sung by my favourite so far, Jason Castro.


-Check out Channel [Von] at the bottom of the page for his performance -


The song is "What A Day For A Daydream" by Loving Spoonful. Anyway, I liked him as he sang with sincerity and plus, he's really cute in a Bob Marley kind of way (not that I think Bob Marley is cute but his hair reminded me of the legend). Furthermore, he sang while strumming guitar and you know I have a real weakness for guitar-playing guys.

You might take a look at his pic and say "What? He's so not cute!!" but I assure you, if he crops his dreadlocks (not that I wish him to coz it suits him just fine) he can be a real looker. Anyway, I love, love him! Can't wait to see how he fares during Week 2.

In Bugs Bunny fashion, That's all folks.

So Long Sweet Summer

Song of the Day: Dashboard Confessionals - So Long Sweet Summer

Yes, indeedy. So long, summer.

3 months have flown by as quickly as the blink of an eye but I have yet to blog about any my summer experiences. Not to allude to the fact that I have a lot of wild experiences to tell anyway. In fact it's just the complete opposite. No, I did not fall in love. No, I did not bungee-jumped. No, I did not do anything that is remotely exciting.

My 3 summer months can be summarized in just 1 word in each:

Dec - Work

Jan - Melbourne

Feb - Omega

Let's see. In Dec, I managed to get myself a high-paying summer job working as an usher during the UQ Graduation ceremonies. After attending so many grad ceremonies, I think the euphoria of waiting for mine has worn off. I've heard so many valedictorian speeches and stood in my heels for hours that I'm glad they're paying me $22 per hour or else, I could really revolt. But I shouldn't complained so much. Many good things have come from my working as an usher and I don't just mean the extremely good pay. Hmm.

And then there was Christmas. For the 1st time in my life, I'm spending the holiday season away from home. It's a novelty that I welcomed as I finally realized how much my family means to me. I had always been taking them for granted (Don't we all?). Oh yes, I finally went to church for the very 1st time on Xmas Eve. Forgive me , Lord, for I have truly sinned against you.

New Year's Eve was a more memorable event as I flew to Melbourne for 1 week. Melbourne was (to sum it all up) HOT but FUN! The very 1st day I sat foot in the city, I was literally swarmed with flies. They always say: Malaysia is like a steam cooker while Australia is like an oven. I never figured out the phrase until I came to Melbourne. It reached 40 degrees on NY Eve! Anyway, I ushered in 2008 on the banks of the Yarra River with fireworks and good company. My NY resolution? Lose 2 kg's. Seems like such an easy task isn't it? Sigh. I guess I have to watch more of The Biggest Loser to motivate me.

I love the Melbourne skyline. And the food! My aunt and uncle who lives in Melbourne took me on an exciting culinary adventure involving Chinese and French cuisine. The Peking Duck I had was marvellous and I've finally had the guts (and the means) to taste escargot! Wow. Eating snails. I think that's the worst (or best?) thing that I've eaten in my life. And then there was Crown Casino. I won $22! Haha. Beginner's luck I supposed. Also, we took a day trip down to Mornington Peninsula where we visited vineyards, tasted wine, pluck cherries and soaked in the hot springs. In a nutshell, Melbourne was fun and I wouldn't hesitate to visit it again in the near future. Maybe I could go to the Great Ocean Road then?

The rest of my January went by quickly as I was immersed with the world of tennis. C'mon. Channel 7 shows Australian Open live everyday! I can't possibly NOT watch it right? Anyway, I'm glad Novak Djokivic beat the almighty Roger Federer in the semis. Wahaha. Total domination ain't good for the game, Roger.

And then, February came around. Omega was visiting Queensland for the very 1st time so yay! Another opportunity to go scouring around the state. But first, there was CNY to celebrate. CNY in Brissy was ... dull and lifeless. In fact, CNY could pass right by and I wouldn't have noticed if not for the fact that my brother called me from home to brag about the various food they had for reunion dinner. Ish.

We went to Australia Zoo in the Sunshine Coast but I was truly disappointed. The animals they had there were mostly, crocodiles (It is the Crocodile Hunter's zoo after all) and koalas (Yes, I know they're cute but let's face it, they're boring creatures). We also went to Gold Coast which was loads of fun! Movie World, Wet N Wild, Surfer's Paradise and Q1! Gosh, Q1 was amazing! The view was faboulous!

Anyway, that's the story of my summer. Not much to tell but at least I wasn't just bumping around doing nothing productive (though for some periods I was doing just that :). Uni is starting soon and it's back to reality. This is my last sem here in Oz and I wanna make this the best 6 months I ever had in my life. And then, there's graduation and then it's time for me to join the workforce. If only I could secure the dream job that I want....

But until then, here's to my next 6 months here! Salud!

Hmm. That reminds me. I haven't been drinking in a while. Speaking of drinking, there was one time in my summer where I nearly got fined for drinking in public. Geesh. Argh, I wanna go clubbing at Family!