Love Stoned

Song of the Day: Justin Timberlake - Love Stoned

Ahh! Justin's coming to Brisbane!!! Ahh! The cheapest ticket price is $98! Ahh! I am so tempted to go! How how? Should I or shouldn't I? I mean, it's JT! And his FutureSex/LoveSound album rocks! And the probability of him performing in Malaysia is close to zilch. Maybe I'll just treat myself to an early birthday present catching him live in concert. Haha. Anything to appease my guilt if I so happened to succumb to temptation tomorrow (that's when the ticket sales are open). Oh God. It's RM300 but it's JT!! I would so love to go!!! Aah!!

Another aah! The weather has been increasingly crabby. It has been raining non-stop for days! Yeah I know, Brissy needs the rain as the city is in a water drought and all but, I hate rains! The worst part is, you have to carry an umbrella everywhere you go. It has been forecasted to rain for the rest of the week. Crap.

The highlight of my previous week was going to the EKKA. The EKKA is an endearing term used by the Aussies which pretty much means, Royal Queensland Show (or something like that). This is an annual event whereby the country folks bring their cattle, horses, sheeps and other farm animals to the city to showcase their trade and their lifestyle. Aside from the exhibition, there was also a carnival, fun fair and many other stuffs. Anyway, we joined the AIFP (Aussie International Friendship Program) for a visit to the EKKA. Basically, the programs aims to mix Aussies together with international students like me to make friends. In hindsight, the program wasn't as successful as I hoped it will be. Nevertheless, it was a fun outing at the EKKA! I watched a sheep-shearing demonstration, a dog show competition, some free circus, ate the famous EKKA strawberry sundae (which was heavenly! Picture below) and a Dagwood dog (some hotdog on a stick).

Oh, meet my horse, Snow White. Isn't she lovely?? Hehe. I so wanna ride on a horse.

There were some fun (and wild!) rides available on the carnival grounds but I reckon, since we're going to Gold Coast soon, why waste the money eh? Plus, the rides weren't cheap. Anyway, since it was a Saturday and we were in the city, we decided to explore to places unknown yet and we ended up at Roma Street Parkland. Oh, there were plenty of cam-whoring opportunities there. It was beautiful but the light was getting darker so we had to call it a day.




Well, that was last week. This week, the highlight so far is visiting the pub for my 1st time here yesterday. Yay! You know how it was in Aiesec UM, after episodes we go mamak-ing? Well, here, it's pub-crawling! The State Manager for Queensland was being elected and so, all of the Aiesecers (UQ+QUT+Griffith) went to Union Jack's to celebrate after that. Apparently, there were free food available so it did not take me long to decide whether to go or not. Plus, drinks were as cheap as $3! Of course, I had to go! And I enjoyed it tremendously. I made a couple of new friends, had some decent conversations and best still, my headache which I was having the whole day was gone! Haha. The miracle of alcohol. Can't wait for the next meeting. That's when the LCP (Local Committee President) of UQ will be elected for the next term. After that, we'll be going to Fridays! I hope drinks are as cheap as $3 then too!

Aiks. I shouldn't play so much. Mid sem exams are coming and I have a reputation to uphold. God. The pressure! And it's so hard here. The lecturers won't be giving us any tips like back in HELP and the students here all seem like they know what they're doing! Unlike me, I keep pretending week in week out. Sigh. Reality bites and I would have to step up a gear if I were to score HD's again here in UQ.

OK. I need to study hard this weekend! No more Simpsons (I tell you. Aussies are obsessed with the dysfunctional family. It's on telly everyday at 6pm!), no more footy, no more Deal or No Deal, no more Harry Potter (Finished the 7th book last weekend!) and no more shopping at Queen St. This weekend, it's all about Corporate Finance, Accounting, Derivatives, Computing, bla bla .... yawn.

Why isn't there a subject called Homer Simpson 101??!

Hey There Delilah

Song of the Day: Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah

Finally. A chance to show some pictures of my lovely apartment. I still have no Internet connection at home (Dumb Optus!) and thus, have to succumb to weekly online escapades in the library.

This is my address: 11/22 Warren Street St Lucia 4067 QLD

You know, in case anyone wants to be a dear and sent me some presents? Haha. My dad volunteered to bring over some durians for me but of course, Australia customs will definitely bar it. Damn, I miss durians.

Anyway, here are some pictures of my place:

This is my bedroom. Sorry, the blinds are a bit askew and the room looks a tad messy. The great thing is that it is fully furnished which includes the comforter, the desk and the wardrobe. I even have air-con! During summer, that would be very useful!

This is the living room. The sofa is a bit drabby but beggars can't be choosers. We even have a DVD player but what's the use if we can't purchase pirated DVD's anyway?

Just a snapshot of the apartment complex in general. There's the swimming pool but it's covered.

The view from my balcony! Beyond the trees, it's the university itself. And also a playing field whereby on Saturday mornings, there will be a footy game going on (Yay! Free entertainment!)

Another view from the balcony. Aah! I love it so much. Can't wait for summer to come so that we can have dinner outside.

In fact, I can't wait for spring to come! My friends from all over Australia will be coming over to visit and we're going to GOLD COAST! Yippee! Can't wait! Can't wait! Wanna go visit Sunshine Coast and the Australia Zoo too if possible. That's where the late Steve Irwin and his family is based.

Sigh. Not in my blogging mood today. I am at loss for words.

It's barely 5.30pm and it's dark outside already. And I have to walk back myself. Eee.

Get It On Tonight

Song of the Day: Montell Jordan - Get It On Tonight

No time for long and boring words today. Guess pictures will just have to do it. Gonna run off to attend a meeting later.

The clock tower of Brisbane! Seriously, no idea what it is called but I dubbed it that myself. Me, smack in the heart of Brisbane: Queen Street!

I just can't help myself when I see these two horses drawing a carriage on a tar road. It makes for a good reason to sneak a pic eh?

Some weird looking giant ball somewhere near Queen Street. Weirder still, there are at least half a dozen of those within the vicinity. Another great reason to cam-whore.

Yikes, I'm running late! More pictures (including the apartment pics I promised earlier) still to come!

[dashes off into the corridors of UQ]

Whistle for the Choir

Song of the Day:The Fratelli's - Whistle for the Choir

Another week breezes by as quickly as a blink of an eye. Before you know it, 1 year will be gone and it will be time for me to return home. Oh no! There's still so much of Brisbane and Australia that I want to see and explore!

Uni life has officially begun. This week, it has all been lectures with no tutorials. What surprised me the most is the size of these lectures. They're huge! It's an average of 300 students per lecture. Not that I'm complaining. There are more eye candy too. Hehe. I hope they are all in my tutorials. The bloody thing is all the lectures are held in various places in the campus. And you know how huge the uni ground is. I have this lecture at Place A till 2pm. And then, I have to walk to attend another lecture at Place B, situated at the other end of the campus starting at 2pm! What do they think we are? Bionic women able to walk 500m in just a few minutes? Let me say, it better be all worth it in the end. I hear, walking can help in weight loss.

So, the days are filled with classes and uni activities but at night, that's when the fun begins. Or rather, lack of it. We were in the city once, walking at Queen Street - the premier shopping destination on a Saturday and when we walked into Harvey Norman, we were dismayed to discover that it was closed! At bloody 4.30pm! C'mon! That's preposterous! What else to you expect us to do on a Saturday then? Anyway, maybe it was for the better too that shops close so early that day. I was in my shopping spree mood. Oh dear. And the sale is still ongoing. Tell me, how can I resist the temptation?? There are clothes available for as affordable as $10! In fact, yours truly did buy a couple of blouses. There was one blouse I saw which was the in-fashion these days that cost $10. Talk about a bargain! Hehe. Yeah I know. No more shopping for the month for me.

The city centre is a cool place to hang out. Besides Queen Street, there is also the casino located at the end of the street. I have not the opportunity to enter the place just yet but I heard there is free coffee available. Across the bridge, is South Bank where the hip and happening crowd hangs out. That is also the place where one watches movie for the cheapest price there is. There are other places to hang out and explore but alas, I have not done so. This weekend, I will be making my way to Indooroopilly and Sunnybank. Indooroopilly (I wonder where did they come up with the name from? In-door-oo!-pilly) is a neighbourhood commercial centre somewhat like Toowong while Sunnybank is where the Asian community rules. There are lots of Asian food available there apparently. Aah! Can't wait for my wan-ton-mee!

Life in Brisbane is slow. However they do walk pretty fast here as evident from the fact that each time we walk to the uni along the path, someone or other will definitely overtake us. Or maybe, it is just us walking slow. It takes about 10-15 minutes to walk to uni from my apartment. Oh! I forgot to talk about my apartment!

It is just lovely. Absolutely splendid. Maybe I'm just biased seeing as how my room overlooks a large field. Almost every evening, there will be people (guys!) playing football (soccer as it is known here) but alas, I'm too far to see anything. Damn. Where is my binoculars when I need it? Oh, did I mentioned that we also have a swimming pool? Not that it is of much use now seeing that it's winter.

Speaking of which, the weather ain't so cold these days. Oh thank lordy! But in the mornings when I wake up, it can be pretty chilly and you'll be tempted to just wrap yourself in the comforter and stay in bed. My cure? A steaming cup of hot chocolate to get rid of the morning blues. Aah... My stomach is rumbling just by the thought of it. Wait a minute. I didn't have my lunch today!

Time to go home and cook. Yeap. Me. Cooking. Will wonders ever cease? Haha. Truthfully, it is more like my housemates cooking and I, watching. Or rather, doing the dishes. Haha.

I have loads more to say really but guess it will be left till the next time. Bye. For now.

Picture

Song of the Day: Kid Rock & Sheryl Crow - Picture

As promised, pictures!!!


This was taken at Southbank, with the view of the Brisbane city as my backdrop. Gorgeous heh? That's the Brisbane river that runs along the city like the Amazon River. The CityCat which is the ferry is a way to travel around. It's really great but at night, it can get pretty chilly. Did I mention that it's freezing cold here? Brrr......

This was taken at the entrance of my alma mater. Gosh, the uni is huge! And the worst part is, I have to walk everywhere to attend my lectures and tutorials. From my apartment to my faculty is a 15-mins walk. However, the best part is: I get to lose weight and ..... see cute ang-mo's walking too. Wahahaha.

This was taken at the mini-park behind my apartment of which I can view from my balcony. Yeap. I have a balcony!!! [evil laugh] I just moved into my apartment yesterday so I'm still excited about it. There will be more pictures of my apartment in later entries. In fact, I believe there will be a whole entry dedicated to it. Hehe.

It's still a few days away from the start of the semester so taking the time to prepare for it and also buying stuffs for my apartment. Oh yeah, I need to get some chic winter clothing too (as my brother suggested. Wahahaha). Everything about Brisbane is cool including the weather. The guys here are better to look at [drool] and the scenery is pleasant. The libraries here are free too (which means I need not have brought 7 paperback novels in the first place) and the cinemas here are theater-ish. Nevertheless, the food here ain't so great. I miss Chinese hawker food!

That will be all for now. Getting hungry and will probably chow down some food at the refractory (aka cafeteria). By the way, UQ campus is like a bird zoo. Everywhere you walk, you will definitely encounter some species of exotic looking bird. In fact, some of them will threaten to steal your food while you're eating too. Most say they are not dangerous but ..... you can't be too careful these days.

Number of cute ang-mo's sitting within my viewing vicinity in the library: 5

:)

Land Down Under

Song of the Day: Men at Work - Land Down Under

G'day mate! I am finally here in the land of kangaroos and koala bears. Sorry it took so long for a blog entry but this past 1 week (I've been here for 1 week already? Wow), have been busy getting orientated with Brisbane roads, buses, enrolling, looking for the perfect place to stay, getting my fill of eye-candy (Oh man, this place has loads of ang-mo hunks!), eating cheap food (mostly bread, darn, I need to lose weight ler) and most of all, enjoying the cold breeze. Gosh, it's cold here.

Well, throughout the past 1 week I have:

1. Gone to Southbank (the hottest spot in city) to watch Harry Potter 5.
2. Gone window-shopping at Queen Street (the premier shopping location)
3. Ate Thai, Chinese, Taiwanese food (ironically haven't tried Western food just yet)
4. Practically walked 1/3 of the huge UQ campus (haven't walked so much in my life before)
5. Sat on the CityCat, the Brisbane ferry (which gives you exclusive views of the city skyline)
6. Gone to Chinatown and ate a full course meal (the ko-lo-yoke here ain't so bad)
7. Learned how to talk in Aussie slang (only when I talked with Aussies ler)
8. ....and many more I have forgotten for now.... (You know la, my pathetic memory)

Anyway, this will be short entry as currently I'm in the library awaiting to attend the next orientation session. So far, it has been great! But the nights are pretty boring as everything closes at 5pm. Yawn. Till the next time, adios!

P.S: More details and pictures in the next entry, I promise!

So long, farewell

Song of the Day: The Sound of Music Soundtrack - So long, farewell

"So, Von, how does it feel now when you're only a few days away from leaving Malaysia and venturing into the unknown?"

"Gee, honestly, I can't really tell. All I can think about are packing and saying goodbyes to my family and friends. Beyond that, I have this nasty twinge of uncertainty that keeps popping its head up. I don't know. Maybe the reality of it hasn't truly hit me, you know?"

"Hmm...but surely you must feel a semblance of sadness and regret for leaving the life that you have grown comfortable with?"

"I think I have gone past the stage of sadness and regret for mentally I have been preparing myself for this day to come months ago. So, yeah... no sadness and regret now. But come the day of departure, I could cry my eyes out. Damn it. When my mother starts crying, I have virtually no defences. I have already said goodbye to my brother last week and when he called to say goodbye again from the airport, my throat was constricted. Saying goodbye to families are the worst."

"So, are you afraid of living overseas? Apart from family and your comfort zone?"

"Definitely. Who wouldn't? Everyone says that it is an unforgettable experience and the exposure you'll get will be priceless. But they don't always mentioned that the first few weeks will definitely be the toughest. Settling in, finding your footing, making new friends... if you're lucky, it could all fall smoothly into place or else, it sucks being away from home."

"What were you planning to do during your last few days here?"

"Well, meeting up with my closest friends remain my priority. Of course, there's also spending time with my parents and relatives. Eating lots of Chinese food is also in the schedule. I would probably gain kilo's in the process but I plan to starve myself in Brisbane. Haha. Not literally of course but then again, I can't cook so it might be a probable scenario. Movies! I would like to catch Fantastic 4, Oceans' 13, Transformers and Die Hard before I leave. What else? Oh, stealing downloaded dramas from friends and also buying enough novels to last me a few months just so I won't die of boredom there. Oh, plus there's dental check-up and re-styling my hair which I'm excited about! Getting kind of bored with my same-since-high-school hairstyle. Couple of last minute shopping to do also. Sigh. Where will I find the time to do all this??!"

"What do you plan to achieve once you're there? I mean, you have got some goals set out right?"

"Get drunk, get high and get laid..... Haha. Of course, I'm kidding. It's so cliched but the usual answers apply. Get good results and enjoy the hell out of Australia. I plan to visit the museums, beaches, libraries, yada yada, do whatever Aussies do. Watch rugby, cricket, footie, whatever they play for fun. During summer, I plan to work so that I could travel to Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne. Maybe even the Great Barrier Reef if the pocket could handle it. Try to meet lots of Aussie hunks and potential boyfriends. Hehe. I'm no sarong party girl but hey, I have a weakness for hot bods. What else? I hope to be able to return in a year's time and say that, Hey! It was the best year of my life! Everything comes back to living it to the fullest."

"What's the plan after your graduation? Return to dear ol' Malaysia or be an expatriate?"

"Everyone keeps asking me that but each time my answer will be 'Depends'. Who knows what will happen 1 year from now? Heck, at this rate, I'm not even sure what will happen 1 month from now. Now, my feelings are ambivalent. I would like to return to Malaysia 'cause no matter how screwed up it is, it's still home. I would like to work in Australia and earn Aussie money so that I could be rich. But it ain't as easy as it seems. So, it all really depends."

"If there is one thing that you could change that would make your time in Australia more exciting, what would it be?"

"I wish that my close friends were going with me. Or else, they are already there in Brisbane. As it turns out, most of them are in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. So near yet so far. Sigh. But then again, we're in the same continent so it's only a phone call away. Plus, they will come to visit me and me, them. So, it won't be much of a problem."

"What do you reckon will miss most when you're there?"

"Everything! Hanging out mamak sessions. Malaysian food. KL shopping sales. My house. My bed. My family. My friends. My TV. My radio. Penang Dvd's. Rented Novel Hut books. Watching movies. Shopping. Clubbing. Booze parties. Aiesec activities. Weekends with my brother. Most of all, the thought that when everything falls downhill, there's always your family to fall back on. But when in Australia, you're on your own. That is a scary thought."

"What happens to your blog when you're in Aussie?"

"A brand new look to commemorate a brand new beginning. More pictures will be uploaded to show the beauty of the Sunshine State. More personality involved. As in, I would not hesitate to reveal my innermost, darkest thoughts for the world to see. Before this, I think twice before writing in case of repercussions. But now, I shall only think once. Haha. The sole purpose of the blog would be to immortalize in words about my 1-year experience in Brisbane. I pray that it would be an unforgettable one."

"Any other things that you would like to add before we sign off tonight?"

"I would just like to say that it is the right time for me to move on. However safe and comfortable you are now, you need to venture out in order to grow. Moreover, lately I don't really feel like I belong here anymore so, it is indeed the right time to go away to a foreign country. To a place where you're free to become whoever it is that you wish to be. Be a brand new person! Do the things that you've always wanted to do! Go fly kite! Haha. That last part was just a tongue-in-cheek answer. Jokes aside, I hope I will be able to discover myself in that 1-year and finally, be happy and contented with the way things are. The pursuit of happyness is indeed an arduous journey."

"With that, it is the end of a long blog entry. Thanks for a deep and thoughtful insight about your journey to Brisbane."

"My journey has barely begun. Till the next time, I hope to be safe and sound in my new place when I'm blogging. Farewell, Malaysia."

Big Girls Don't Cry

Song of the Day: Fergie - Big Girls Don't Cry



A little update about my life so far:


Just spent almost a week in Penang. Arrived on Saturday, waited at Sg. Nibong bus station for about an hour and then spending the rest of the day in Gurney Plaza while waiting to catch Pirates 3 for a late night movie. After movie, went to Sri Sayang to spend the night sleeping on the floor of a crowded apartment. Sunday, the National Pioneer's Camp officially begun. Spent some time at the beach, most of the time at the apartment for sessions, walked under the hot Penang sun to go have lunch at Batu Ferringhi, had more sessions, met a couple of old and new friends and by the end of the 1st night, was tired as hell. Monday, a whole bunch of sessions (though informative but very heavy on the details) and booze party at night while playing the Mafia game. I was really tipsy. Someone mentioned I was talking funny. Yikes. Went to hospital at 5am as Nick sprained his ankle. Went back to Sri Sayang only to discover someone already sleeping at my less-than-comfy-but-still-better-than-floor bed and I had to makeshift a couple of cushions for a 3 hours sleep. Tuesday, had a terrible hangover but still had to focus on sessions and saying goodbyes. From Tuesday till Thursday, it was all Penang food and shopping. I think I had my fill of char-koay-teow and prawn mi's to last me for a year already. Bye-bye Penang. It was fun while it lasts. Thanks for the DVDs too.


Now, it's back to reality for me. No more mamak-ing or hanging out sessions. It's time to buck up or risk falling flat on my face. I have less than 2 weeks till exams. I have more or less 1 month till I fly off to Brisbane. It's time to prioritize! Studies and family. And friends too I hope.


Anyway, a little digression but a little fun won't hurt anyone.

Yokel what? Definitely not an orphan. Nightmare of emotion??? Hardly.

I ain't volunteering no orgasms whatsoever. Don't get any wrong ideas here. Naughty?? Hmm...

Never Ever

Song of the Day: All Saints - Never Ever

Glory, glory, Manchester United!
You're the best club in the entire planet,
Playing football at its best,
We'll definitely beat the rest!

No matter where we roam,
The Reds will go marching home,
Old Trafford is where we belong,
Trophies will stay there for long.

Sir Alex Ferguson is our master,
Dedicated to make us grow faster,
To bring more glory and silverware,
That will satisfy us, fans out there.

Ronnie and Rooney are such a pair,
To defenders, they are such a scare,
Giggs and Scholes have such class,
We're proud to have them in our grasp.

1999 was the treble year,
When again will we evoke such fear?
2007 season was great,
But we'll be better in 2008.

Chelsea, Arsenal, eat your heart out,
Liverpool and the rest throughout,
United is back on track to win,
In England and Europe, we will reign!

Faded

Song of the Day: Soul Decision - Faded

It's been so long,
Have been busy getting along,
Sorry, dear blog,
I've neglected you like a pet dog.

I have nothing to say,
In the month of May,
Except it's time to play,
As I'll be going away.

Brisbane, here I come,
For studies and a bit of fun,
In a year, I'll be back,
Then, my career will get on track.

8 of July will come too soon,
But till then, there's still June,
Time for family and friends,
Also to shop for clothes and pens.

Exams are around the corner,
Doing well will give me honour,
I hope to do my very best,
To ace every freaking test.

Guess it's time to wrap up,
And get back to my coffee cup,
Till my next post,
Here's to the month of May, a toast!