Exuvalia (Main)

28th January - Honeymoon Stage over.

2012-01-28T20:14:00.006+08:00

Today marks the start of the Honeymoon Period being over. Unfortunately, I've been told that it's time where everyone puts in effort to make the relationship work out (because this is the time where flaws and bad habits are being identified). My boyfriend did tell me that I didn't change at all, as compared to how I was during the Honeymoon Period. However, I discovered that after the Honeymoon Period was over, he started being a little more insensitive and perhaps self-centered?

One of my friend told me that guys tend to test the water when they first get into a relationship. They don't put in 100% of the effort, only until 1 year has passed by (and the relationship gets more stable). As soon as they think that the girl is worth it, they start to be more sensitive and care about their girlfriend. Apparently, this applies to 'man-ly' guys, which I refer to as 'bad boys'. Vice versa!

Apparently, there is a theory:

Good girls go for bad guys.
Bad girls go for good guys.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Do you believe in this theory?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Swimming at the Teo's!

2012-01-27T23:31:00.005+08:00

It has been 8 years or so, since I've actually done any swimming. The other time I went to the beach with Germaine, my boyfriend and his friends, I tried to swim but failed. I guess it's true how they say that you need practice, or will forget the skills that you once learned - because it applies in this case. Anyway, I went swimming + had dinner at Audrey and Melissa's new house at 5 PM today. It has been ages since I've done something different from my routine. Read on and enjoy!

I'll let the pictures do the talking:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When was the last time you went swimming?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Life in Australia and Singapore

2012-01-26T10:08:00.001+08:00

My days in 2012 have become a routine - sleep at 4 am and wake up at 2 pm. So much for having a New Years Resolution that states that I will start sleeping early. Basically, I wake up, wash up, get changed, use the internet, skip lunch, have dinner, use the internet again, go to Pot Black (snooker centre) for 3 hours or so and then sleep. My life doesn't get more exciting than that, and I really wish that there will be more 'sugar and spice (who wants to live a montonous life, right?) and everything nice'. But then again, it's hard for life NOT to be a routine, as Perth is such a boring place.

Definitely can't wait to go to Singapore - because there will be more things that I can do. Shops are open until late, and crowds are everywhere. It's pretty safe that people can go jogging at parks at night (although there have been crimes happening recently). Anyway, it's only 11 days to Singapore and yes, I'm definitely counting down. I know that my friends are too, especially Viola, Darrel and Diana?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Is your day like a routine too?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sneakpeek: Completed IKEA furniture.

2012-01-25T01:45:00.003+08:00

Okay, this blog entry is pretty much redundant but I can't think of anything else to blog about (hence, this would have to do). I think it's time to display the IKEA furniture that both me and my boyfriend fixed. Very proud of the completed work, because it works perfectly - no one can tell that it was DIY-ed.

This is how it looks like:

On a side note, I have a busy week ahead of me.

Friday: Swimming at Audrey and Melissa Teo's house.
Saturday: Dinner with Allister Tse.
Sunday: Collect the rental contract from the owner.

Well, not too busy but definitely more busy than the past few weeks. Oh yes, before I forget, I finally have shifts set up for me for next week! Thank goodness I can start working again - cash hasn't been coming in and therefore, I've used up all my funds for the Singapore trip. Mum has allowed me to withdraw the government bonds that I invested in 3 or 4 years ago. It's probably worth $2,000 SGD now, but I'm only allowed to withdraw $1,000 SGD for spending. Oh well, that's better than nothing.

Valentines Day preparation.

2012-01-24T23:55:00.002+08:00

Valentines Day is coming up! It's around 3 weeks away, and I haven't had anything planned yet. Today, I woke up and decided to head down to Carousel Shopping Centre on my own. My boyfriend just stayed at home, reading comics online. Walking around, I found a Valentines Day card and some awesome stickers that would definitely be one of the perfect 'tools' for my preparation. I still need to look for the perfect gift for Valentines Day though (might go shopping in Singapore to find something unique).

This would be my first time celebrating Valentines Day (well, partly - because I'll be on my holiday in Singapore while he's stuck in Perth). I don't know what to do for Valentines Day and what surprises I should give my beloved boyfriend, it's such an arduous task indeed. Would someone who has heaps of experience, give me some ideas or useful tips that I could possibly use? I'm stuck in terms of planning.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Any ideas on what I can do for Valentines Day?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Chinese New Year.

2012-01-23T17:23:00.008+08:00

On Chinese New Year, I spent the day shopping in the city with my dearest boyfriend. I wasn't going to spend any of my red packet money, but the items displayed in the stores were too tempting for me to walk away empty-handed. I tried on three pieces of clothing, while my poor boyfriend waited in the corner of the store for me. Soon, Germaine came along to join us. My boyfriend went to sit on the bench outside, leaving us two girls shopping by ourselves. I ended up walking out the shop with two items: One 'black heart' white top, and a lacey black ribbon skort (combination of skirt and shorts).

Items: Top @ $19.99 AUD, and Skirt @ $15.99 AUD.

Went into Roads just to browse through clothes because Germaine wanted to. Never thought that I would ever buy something there, but I walked out of the store with this blue 'cleavage enhancing top'. I bet you're now like, "What? Why would you buy something like that?" Well, guys, I just wanted to try a new style, where it highlights my cleavage area (because my *you know what* is on the small side). That's all, nothing too exaggerated about it + I'm not trying to show off my body to anyone.

Items: Top @ $18.90 AUD.

After shopping, we met my boyfriend's friend in the city for dinner. The next destination was back to Germaine's house for rounds and rounds of Mahjong (which was pretty fun), but I ended up having a D&M session in Germaine's bedroom. So yeah, that's all I did for Chinese New Year. Very different from the Chinese New Year celebrations that I had in the past, but I'm already used to the life here.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

How different was your Chinese New Year celebration?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Chinese New Year Eve!

2012-01-22T17:06:00.000+08:00

On Chinese New Year Eve, I celebrated it with my mum, dad, two sisters, boyfriend, boyfriend's friend (Lap), mum's friend (Aunty Elsie), my younger sister's friend, my aunty and my uncle. My boyfriend, Lap, and I played PS2 and watched a movie while waiting for dinner to be served. First, we had 'Lo Hei' which means 'Prosperity Toss' - this dish is served during ths festive season. We then had dinner together as a group, chatting and laughing away (with the exception of my shy boyfriend and his friend).

As we started getting quite bored, Mahjong became our entertainment for the night. The players were me, my boyfriend, Lap, my sister, my sister's friend, my mum and my aunty. We took turns! I won the most times, which made me feel rather shocked at my Mahjong playing skills. Before we left, my parents and aunty handed some red packets to us for Chinese New Year. In total, I had $100 AUD and $28 SGD, which was pretty good (considering the fact that we don't celebrate the festive season).

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

How did you celebrate Chinese New Year Eve?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Chinese Horoscope.

2012-01-21T01:47:00.001+08:00

I know, that as a Roman Catholic, I'm not supposed to believe in horoscopes and starsigns. But under the influence of my friend (who is of the same religion as I am), I have been reading it lately. Found most of the readings very true in terms of my personality and character, and matches my boyfriend's one too. First up, let me share this link with all of you: Click. Find your Chinese horoscope animal.

See whether the readings match who you are and whether you are compatible with your partner. My boyfriend's Chinese horoscope animal is a 'Snake' while mine is a 'Sheep'. Apparently, we make great friends and even better lovers, and this is good in my opinion. Because we can both be a friend and lover at the same time. Do try it out and see whether it's accurate in your case.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Was your horoscope readings accurately described?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

IKEA trip with the boy.

2012-01-20T12:32:00.005+08:00

I went to IKEA with my boyfriend today, and we were supposed to look at 'Shelving Units'. In the end, we got a little bit sidetracked and ended up purchasing a whole lot of junk (as my mum would say). In our trolley, there were two cutlery sets, a plastic bin, and a grey floor mat. The items are supposed to be used when we move over to the Master Bedroom in the house - as the current room wouldn't fit two people who want to live comfortably. Anyway, I was unsure whether I wanted the Shelving Unit, and ended up deciding against it because it seemed too pricey for my liking.

After 30 minutes of eating at the IKEA cafe, fickle-minded as I am, decided to walk back in to check out the whole range of 'Shelving Units' again.

We ended up deciding on these:

Basically, the second picture is like an insert for the 'hole' in the shelving unit, and it acts like a cupboard door (which means that my stuff won't get too dusty + privacy). After our trip to IKEA, we headed over to Northbridge as my boyfriend wanted to play snooker with his friends. We ended up returning home around 1:30 AM, and fixed up the new 'furniture' together.

What time did we sleep? If you must know, 5 AM or so.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Do you love shopping at IKEA?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Canon 450D + 18-55mm Lens.

2012-01-19T13:03:00.000+08:00

I will be selling my Canon 450D + 18-55mm lens. Is anyone interested in purchasing it? There is absolutely nothing wrong with the item and is in excellent condition. The only reason why I'm selling it is because my boyfriend owns a Canon 550D and two better quality lens. Because I'll be living with my boyfriend when I get back from my Singapore trip, having two Canon DSLRs is pretty redundant - as he will lend me his DSLR whenever I need to use it. Open to reasonable priced offers.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Are you interested in purchasing? Leave a comment.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Happy 6th Month Anniversary!

2012-01-18T13:56:00.007+08:00

Happy 6th Month Anniversary, my boy!

Thank you for being so loving, so caring, so understanding and so faithful to me. I'm so glad that you're now more responsible and mature as compared to the time that I first met you. You even got rid of your bad habits and addiction to smoking (just for me). Let's continue to walk hand in hand. I love you! ♥

Going Back to Singapore.

2012-01-17T13:40:00.000+08:00

A few weeks ago, I made an 'Event' on Facebook, telling people that I would be arriving in Singapore soon (7th February to 25th February), and there was an overwhelming number of people who clicked the 'Attending' button. So to speak, all 18 days in Singapore are now fully booked up. Even though I have splitted up each day into two slots - Morning/Afternoon, Evening/Night, I have full bookings. Unfortunately for some people, I wouldn't be able to hang out with them whatsoever. I was planning to create a blog entry, asking people whether they would like to meet up with me in Singapore. But now that I don't have any more availabilities, I guess my idea wouldn't work out. However, if anyone is interested in meeting up with me, you can leave me your contact details via email.

My email address is: exuvalia@hotmail.com.

If any of my friends happen to bail me out on any of these days, I will contact you to hang out. Sorry that I have to do it like that - I wish I could be in Singapore for a longer time. Oh well.

Birthday Suit.

2012-01-16T23:56:00.002+08:00

'Lap' came back from Hong Kong today. As soon as he got down from the taxi, he started swearing in Cantonese, exclaiming how hot it is in Perth. Upon finishing his sentence, he took off his jeans, sweater, and T-shirt. There he stood in his boxers, waiting for us to help him open the back door (to gain entry into the house). Alright, as I've been living at my boyfriend's house, I'm used to seeing guys walk around in their underwear/boxers, so this wasn't such a big issue.

So, he stormed up the stairs and headed for the bathroom. Anyway, he tried to turn on the light but realised that the electricity had been temporarily cut off. 'Lap' continued to curse and swear about how hot it was and that he was going to take a shower anyway. He left the door wide open and stripped down to his birthday suit (aka naked) as he screamed out, "Marie, don't look at me." I wasn't aware about what was going on, and turned around. Well, a person in normal circumstances would turn in response to their name and so, you can't really blame me for seeing him nude! *shifty eyes*

After that, I told him that I saw his 'part' on accident and he didn't seem to care. Wow...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Have you ever experienced an awkward encounter like this?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Friends Circle: Boys or Girls?

2012-01-15T18:42:00.004+08:00

Since I have absolutely nothing to blog about today, I guess I would like to note out my opinions and feelings in regard to 'Friends Circle: Boys or Girls'. When I was in Primary School, all my friends (apart from 2 or so) were girls. This explains how hard I find interacting with guys, despite being friends with them. Even in High School, I had only a small handful of male friends, maybe 4 or 5, whom I wasn't even close to. I would say that maybe 19 years of my life were dedicated to having a female friends circle. But I was surrounded by guys in my 20th year, as that was the period that I met my boyfriend.

It was the first time I was surrounded by THAT many guys and I have a strong feeling that it won't be the last time (as I'm learning to balance both genders in my life).

Image: Christmas Party 2011 - Note our couple T-shirts!

Left to right: Ken (Boyfriend), Me, Nick, Lap, Long, Ivan, Xavier, Joey.

If you don't already know, these pictures were taken in 2011. There will be many more group shots to be taken in 2012, I'm pretty sure about that. *thumbs up*

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Do you have a 'Male' or 'Female Friends Circle'?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Boyfriend: I miss you.

2012-01-14T00:07:00.000+08:00

Image: Me and Ken (Boyfriend)

I was supposed to be back in my house (where my family lives) in Canning Vale for two weeks while my boyfriend concentrates on studying for three of his final examinations. On the first day away from him, he sent me messages, telling me that he misses me a lot and asked me to see him on the second day + sleep over. That's what I did, and went home the next afternoon. The day after that, I was told that he couldn't fall asleep because I wasn't lying in bed next to him and that he couldn't stop thinking about me. Because I thought that THIS would affect his studying and revision for the upcoming examinations, I moved back into his house and have been living here ever since.

As he was supposed to study for his examinations today, I sat in the other corner of the bedroom (on the bed, using my laptop) while he sat at the study desk. However, he clearly was distracted by me, as he kept looking over or talking to me - either one. At the end of the day, he ended up studying for maybe an hour or so? Sigh! I knew that I would be a distraction, and yet, I came over because I thought that he wouldn't be able to concentrate without my presence. Did I make the wrong decision?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What did you do today? What are your plans for tomorrow?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Encouragement to Blog.

2012-01-13T18:10:00.000+08:00

Do you know why I've been blogging everyday in 2012 so far? Well, it's all thanks to Viola who have given me heaps of encouragement to continue updating my blog, (by leaving lovely comments on all the blog entries this year). Thank you so much! I've always wanted to leave memories behind, so that I can look back on it in the near future and you're helping me fulfill my dream. Thank you for the encouragement and support (visiting my blog everyday). You're a good friend, indeed!

On another note, I went over to Germaine's house last night and collected her 'junk':

As you know, one man's junk is another man's treasure. Since Germaine is moving from her currently rented house to a new one (Long's house), she did some 'spring cleaning' and found some junk that she wasn't interested in owning anymore. I love adopting unwanted items from people and therefore, took this opportunity to bring them home. Yay, free stuff - typical stereotypical Asian, yes.

Anyway, Germaine is shifting to her new rented bedroom tomorrow and I MIGHT go over to help.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Do you often take other people's 'junk'?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Christmas Presents in the Year 2011.

2012-01-12T20:08:00.001+08:00

Older sister: Floral Shoulder-Bag from Collete Accessories.

Ken (Boyfriend): Bow Wallet from Collete Accessories.

Ken (Boyfriend): Floral Overnight-Bag from Collete Accessories.

Myself: Flower Sandals from Equip.

Just thought that I would share my latest items that I currently own, although they were purchased and gifted to me in the Year 2011 (most specifically Christmas). The next time I'll be blogging about my purchase haul would be in February 2012 - shopping in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Not going to buy new items until that period, as I'm still struggling to save up for my trip to Singapore. What a bummer!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Which item listed above is your favourite? Why?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

2012-01-11T21:54:00.010+08:00

My boyfriend has examinations coming up in the next week or so. Instead of being distracted by my existence, he has requested for me to go back to my house for two weeks (hiatus). Yesterday was our first day away from each other, and he was already sending me messages, telling me that he really misses me. Today, I was asked to come to his house to spend time with him + sleep over because he wants to see me. Wow! It has only been one day and it seems as though he can't live without me? Somehow, knowing that he's THIS clingy makes me happy. Yes, I love clingy people. *beams*

On another note, I met up with dear Amanda for dinner tonight. We haven't seen each other for maybe a few months, and so it was definitely good to see her again. Caught up on life (well, mostly mine) and laughed about stupid and immature things we did in High School when we were in Year 8/9. Unfortunately, we didn't get to take pictures with each other for memories sake. Awww, boo.

I would continue typing up this entry. But considering that I haven't finished studying for my Consumer Behaviour test that I've to sit for tomorrow, I should really go do it now. Wish me all the best!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Do you miss someone? Who and why?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hilarious Auto-Correct Message.

2012-01-10T10:21:00.005+08:00

You know how you always read 'Hilarious Auto-Correct Messages' on the internet? I never expected to experience one (well, apart from the last time with Darrel) and just needed to share it with all of you. This is a conversation that I had with my mum, and she totally made me laugh!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What is your 'Auto-Correct' experience? Do share!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Light sleeper.

2012-01-09T01:12:00.003+08:00

I used to be a light sleeper! Whenever I'm sharing the bed with someone, I would wake up every time someone moves. Needless to say, I will be shaken awake by small movements and sounds. I've been like that ever since I was in Primary School - and that's part of the reason why I don't like to share the bedroom with others or have sleepovers. The other part is because I abhor people watching me sleep and I get all self-conscious about that all the time. But recently, my sleeping habits have changed significantly, well, ever since I've been in a relationship with my boy.

The house that he is renting is right beside a train station, so the train goes by every 15 minutes or so. The first time I slept at his house, I couldn't fall asleep at all. He would toss and turn in bed, the trains would make a ruckus, and the cars would zoom past loudly. I used to have bad sleeps at his house! But after sleeping at his house more often, everything is different.

01. I can't hear my phone vibrate when I get a message.
02. I can't hear cars zooming past.
03. I can't hear the trains making a ruckus.
04. I don't wake up when my boyfriend tosses and turns in bed.
05. I don't wake up when my boyfriend gives me a good morning kiss.

The main point is, I'm no longer a light sleeper.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Are you a light sleeper? Or are you a heavy sleeper?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Husband-Material Checklist.

2012-01-08T22:38:00.001+08:00

When you get into a relationship with someone, females would probably think of the future while guys just take everyday as it is. So considering the fact that I'm a girl, I would always discuss with my boyfriend about the future - to see whether we have similar goals. It turns out that both of us want two kids, travel the world, and to move to another country in Asia. This way, I know that disputes will be minimal and therefore, our relationship would most probably work out well, if you know what I mean?

Husband-Material Checklist:

✘ Non smoker.
✔ Does the laundry.
✔ Washes dishes.
✔ Can cook.
✔ Vaccums/mops the house.
✘ Very romantic.
✔ Tall.
✔ Faithful.
✔ Neat and tidy.
✘ Is mature.
✘ A 'good' boy.

I would say that I'm pretty lucky to have a boyfriend like Ken. Although he isn't perfect (okay, no one is), but he has more positive points than negative ones. Now, let's go through the Husband-Material Checklist. Bad points: My boyfriend used to smoke but because of me, he has quitted smoking for good. I would say that this is definitely a big sacrifice, considering how addictive it can be. Also, my boyfriend isn't romantic at all - in fact, he hates it a lot and thinks that it's too mushy. However, this 'flaw' doesn't destroy our relationship but it's definitely something that I'm all 'aww, if only' about. Lastly, Ken is one of those so-called bad boys. You know, those guys who like to defy parents and break rules? But after dating me for 5 months plus, he has definitely become more mature and responsible.

Now on to the good points: I'm so darn lucky to get a boyfriend who can do the household chores, and even cook for me! Since we've been together, he has cooked scrumptious dinner for me at least once a week. He always cleans up after himself, and never has to be told to do household chores. I would say that he's just like me - a neat and clean freak. My mum still can't believe that I've found my 'clone', guy version. She has always thought that it was impossible to find someone like me, but I guess I've proved her wrong by falling in love with one. Lastly, tall guys. Who doesn't like tall guys? *beams*

In terms of the Husband-Material Checklist, my boyfriend (Ken) has passed it. It's still too early to say for sure whether I will end up marrying him in future. But for all I know, we have the same plans for the future + he has fulfilled my Husband-Material Checklist. That's one step closer to 'SUCCESS'.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What is on your 'Husband-Material Checklist'?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012.

2012-01-07T19:05:00.000+08:00

Left to right: Me, Ken (Boyfriend), Lufian, Carson, Xavier, Jo, Joey, Long.

This would be one of the best pictures of me in 2011. I wonder how pictures of me would turn out in 2012. I'm going to Hillarys Boat Harbour tomorrow - beach and water-slides with Ken's friends + my new best friend (Germaine). Hopefully, I'll be able to take some nice pictures for my blog entry tomorrow. Stay tuned, but no promises! Have a good weekend everyone!

Guys asking for your number.

2012-01-06T18:24:00.001+08:00

I've been working almost everyday, to the extent that I get sore arms and legs. However, it is a MUST, as it's my only means to saving up for my Singapore trip which is right around the corner. Just today, I was told by my manager that 'Old Chang Kee' was planning to train up new staff and in order to do so, some of us will not be given shifts for the next week/two weeks. I find this absolutely unfair, as some of us depend on our salary for survival (aka me). If I don't get enough shifts, I'll have to look for another job - which will eat up most of my precious time. But gah, I guess I have no choice hey?

Speaking about work, a customer was standing right outside the shop that I was working in. He kept staring in my direction non-stop. I assumed that he was planning to buy some food and that's why he was standing there for at least 10 minutes. However, all of a sudden, he walks up to me and says:

"I just want to tell you that you're really pretty."

I didn't know how to react, but thanked him with a smile on my face. I've never really thought that I'm pretty, have a good body, have a perfect personality or anything that would probably attract a person. But somehow, 80% of my guy friends have had feelings for me before (not that I have heaps of guy friends though) and I can't figure out why. What exactly about me would attract people? So far, I've had maybe 4 or 5 strangers tell me that I'm pretty/asked for my number, and 80% of my guy friends confess their feelings towards me. I'm not trying to give everyone an impression that I have heaps of charm, but I'm just trying to discover exactly 'what' is attracting people to me? *shifty eyes*

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Has anyone asked for your number before?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Do you have motion sickness?

2012-01-05T19:28:00.001+08:00

Since I was young, I've had motion sickness! I can't really ride on rollercoasters, go on road trips or watch movies that have shaky scenes or I'll end up feeling dizzy and nauseous. I used to throw up everyday during car rides when I was younger, to the extent that I now have Emetophobia (a phobia of vomit). Whenever someone pukes, I refuse to stand in the same spot in future, go near the person, or even touch them for at least 1 to 2 weeks - recovery period. Because I associate vomiting with alcohol, I have never drank alcohol in my entire life. I will do ANYTHING just to avoid it.

The day before yesterday, I went to watch Mission Impossible with my boyfriend and his friends. We were sitting towards the front of the cinema's movie screen, and that caused me to feel a tad bit dizzy. On top of that, the movie was of an 'Action' theme, and therefore, there were many shaky scenes. I told my boyfriend that I was nauseous and felt like throwing up, but there was obviously nothing he could do about it - apart from letting me lie on his shoulder and close my eyes for a bit. Thank goodness I felt much better at the end of the movie, so that I could continue the rest of my day comfortably.

This is what I do to refrain from 'vomiting'.

01. Bring candy along with me at all times.
02. Not drink/smell alcohol.
03. Distract myself on road trips - by talking to people.
04. Don't sit too close to the movie screen.
05. Try not to watch 'action' movies.
06. Don't ride rollercoasters.
07. Not to eat/drink something that smells or tastes bad.

Not sure whether anyone suffers from the same 'illness' as me. If you do, I would love to hear your stories and how you try overcoming this terrible feeling. Please leave a comment!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Do you have motion sickness? How do you overcome it?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A month before my Singapore trip!

2012-01-04T19:58:00.000+08:00

Image: My new hairstyle/dyed hair, taken on the 1st of January 2012.

Wow, I'm feeling rather lethargic today. Was a struggle for me to get out of bed, but I had to because of my 2.00 PM to 6.30 PM shift (working at Old Chang Kee - Perth branch). I've been having late nights for the past few days, hanging out with my boyfriend and his friends and heading to bed around 4.00 AM in the morning. This probably explains why I feel so tired both mentally and physically, oh boy, I probably sound like an old woman who has just hit menopause. Ironic, since I haven't even hit the big 20 yet.

While I'm typing this blog entry, my boyfriend is currently cooking dinner for me. We'll most likely have a early night in tonight, just watching scary movies and cuddling like any couple would. However, if we didn't have school tomorrow or weren't broke, we would be living life differently right now. The night would probably be spent in Northbridge, playing snooker/pool or singing karaoke together. Too bad that I have to save for my Singapore trip - just a month and three days away.

Oh, since we're talking about Singapore, here is a question for you:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Any ideas on what I can do in Singapore?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Balancing Family, Friends and Relationship.

2012-01-03T23:48:00.000+08:00

Wished 2012 would be an awesome year, but in a way, I guess I expected too much. There is something muddling up my life, and I can't seem to point it out. What exactly is it? It feels as though life is not balanced between friends, family and my boyfriend. This is definitely something that I would like to change, but how/when? Okay, let me elaborate. Ever since I've been in a relationship with my boyfriend, I haven't been spending too much time with my family and friends. Many have told me that it's normal to be like that, considering the fact that the relationship is still fresh, which makes both parties 'attached' to each other. That's fair enough, but I've already been with my boyfriend for 5.5 months. Would you say that that the relationship is still fresh? I guess it's pretty subjective.

I would love to spend more time with my family and friends, considering how much time I've been 'dedicating' my life to my boyfriend during the start of our relationship. However, I'm scared that if I let him hang out with his friends alone, he might think that it's more fun hanging out with them as opposed to spending time with me - scared that it would be 'bros before hoes'. On top of that, I'm also afraid that I'll be missing out on all the so-called fun that they have all the time. Yes, I know very well that I might be too clingy but it's something that I can't really change, as I've always been like that? If you must know, my boyfriend absolutely doesn't mind it so it's not really a problem that we have to worry about.

To be honest, I only have 1 day alone with my boyfriend (as mentioned in the previous blog entry). The other 6 days are spent together with his friends, and so we don't really have much 'couple time', not that we have anything to do anyway. But still, I wish we could spend more time alone with him and not always with his buddies. By the way, I consider quality time as a one on one thing, rather than in a 'group' situation, and that's why I feel that I don't actually spend enough time with him. Oh well!

On a side note, this is a picture that I took with my boyfriend's friends today at a buffet:

Clockwise from left: Germaine, Me, Ken, Ivan, Xavier, Nick, Carson, Lufian and Long.

We pretty much spent the day watching Mission Impossible at Hoyts in Westfield Carousel, went to a buffet for dinner, and sang karaoke at Hit Studio in Northbridge. The day was fun, but there were some disputes here and there among people (two of the boys verbally fought with each other).

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

How would you balance family, friends and relationship?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Should you fully trust your significant other?

2012-01-02T23:39:00.000+08:00

I had a semi-couple day with my boyfriend today. If you must know, couple day is a day that we spend quality time with each other on, just me and him. We have this day once a week. Unfortunately, his friends asked to hang out with him tonight - playing snooker at Pot Black Northbridge. That's the reason why today is a semi couple day, instead of the so-called 'couple day'. Because the guys are playing snooker right now and I am bored out of my wits, this is the reason why I'm sitting here blogging. Now to the main topic that I wish to ramble about: Should you even have any doubt in your significant other?

My boyfriend was driving my car to Northbridge when his friends called him. It's generally not a good thing to talk on the phone while driving, so he handed me his mobile to pick up the call. As you know when you end a conversation on your mobile phone, it automatically goes back to the main screen. On the main screen, I noticed a notification bar on the top left hand corner of his HTC. There was a heart icon with 5 notifications in a green box. It looked like one of those 'dating applications'.

My mind started to wander. Was he fooling around/flirting with other girls? How could he do that, considering the fact that he told me that he loves me so much? After he got down from the car, I returned the mobile to him and started my interrogation.

Me: What is this?
Him: I don't know.
Me: I want to see.
Him: See lor (English equivalent of 'then').

I looked through the application and noticed that he didn't seem to have used it at all. He just had a profile filled in, but the chat history was non-existent. This being, he didn't try to start conversations with any girls. Even if they started up a conversation with him, he would just ignore it completely.

Me: How come you have this application?
Him: 'Anonymous' downloaded it for me, but I don't use it.

Upon hearing that, my jaw dropped instantly. He was completely innocent, and there I was, doubting his every move. Was it my fault for looking at the notification bar and does it mean I was searching through his phone? Was it my fault for doubting him although I told him that I completely trusted him? Was it too much that I wanted to track down his every move in that application? Or would other people do it too?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What is your opinion on this topic? Please share.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

New start to a new year.

2012-01-01T16:01:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I always believe that a new year is a completely new beginning. On the first day of each year, I like to make New Year Resolutions for self improvement purposes. Changes are going to be huge this year, I can totally feel it in my blood.

01. I will try to control my emotions a bit more.
02. I will be more productive in everything I do.
03. I will create goals, so that I can achieve them.
04. I will get Distinctions (D) for all my units.
05. I will do more exercise and become fit.
06. I will try to sleep early and drink more water.
07. I will try my best to update my blog everyday.
08. I will save 75% of my salary from working.
09. I will do self-improvement on my personality.
10. I will take up a new language.

There are some plans I have for 2012 and I'll let you know the gist of it. My mum did discuss with my dad about me moving out of the house (they suggested it, if you must know), and so I've been looking for an apartment to rent with my boyfriend. We are looking for a place around $280 a week maximum, around the Victoria Park, Wilson, Perth or Bentley area. We haven't had any luck yet, so if you do happen to stumble upon a bargain, please let me know! I will be absolutely grateful to you. *thumbs up*

On the other hand, I've decided to do Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment on my underarms. I'm sick and tired of being so self-conscious about them - you've got to worry about whether the hair has grown back and it limits you from wanting to wear certain clothes. I visited 'Essential Beauty' in Carousel and I was notified that one session was $120 AUD, and I was to do 10 sessions if I wanted all the hair to be removed permanently. I did the calculations and boy, oh boy, it would be $1200 AUD! Thank goodness they introduced me to a promotion package whereby 10 sessions would only cost $900 AUD aka $90 AUD per session. Although my boyfriend doesn't really support this move, I'm still going to do it anyway.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What are your New Year Resolutions? Care to share?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

New Years Eve 2011.

2011-12-31T13:13:00.001+08:00

Left to right: Carson, Lufian, Germaine, Me, Ken (Boyfriend), and Long!

Both me and my boyfriend promised to make Year 2012 a good one, changing any bad habits that we might have (for an improved relationship). I got newly dyed hair/haircut for a fresh start to the New Year, before heading to the city for the yearly countdown. The city was crowded with many drunk people, holding tightly to alcohol bottles and drinking themselves crazy. My boyfriend's friends made New Year Resolutions that they would quit smoking, and smoked themselves crazy before it was exactly the 1st of January 2012. Oh yes, my lovely boyfriend gave me a New Years Eve cum New Years Day kiss, right on the dot of 12:00 midnight. I also received a hug from Germaine, awww!

The day ended with us heading to Burswood Casino for some gambling, except me and Germaine. At one point, my boyfriend had to go to the toilet and he left me waiting for him outside. When he came out, I was told that there were two people having sex in a particular cubicle in the men's toilet. Apparently, there was a crowd waiting outside the cubicle, just to see who the couple was. It ended up being an Aboriginal pair. After hearing about what happened (by my boyfriend), I had my mouth hanging wide open. I never expected something like this happening in public - or maybe I've never really seen the real world yet, and this is it. Wow, this must be the most interesting thing in 2011!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

How did you celebrate New Years Eve 2011?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Customized Coca Cola can.

2011-12-05T00:50:00.003+08:00

Have you seen those Coca Cola cans around that reads: Share a Coke with 'insert name here'? Because my name isn't one of the 150 most common names in Australia, I couldn't find my name printed on any Coca Cola cans. That was indeed a disappointment until I found out that they were doing 'customised' names for free at Westfield Carousel. Me and my boyfriend queued up twice to get two free customised Coca Cola cans for ourselves. Took us around 30-45 minutes for our turn, because of the long queue.

This is how my can looks like:

Isn't it awesome and unique? I hope that I won't be tempted to open up those cans to drink out of them, because it would be such a waste to throw my empty Coca Cola customized cans in the bin. I might just keep an expired Coke forever, just because it is customized with my 'internet persona' on it. Hahaha, I guess I will never grow up. *sticks tongue out*

New Job at Old Chang Kee!

2011-12-04T23:59:00.000+08:00

Many of you are probably familiar with the well-known snack chain in Singapore, known as 'Old Chang Kee'. The shop specialises in curry puffs, fish balls, sotong balls and other local snacks. To my knowledge, they currently have 73 branches in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. The 74th branch is opened in Perth, Western Australia, where I currently reside in. So, why am I rambling about this shop? What is my purpose? I have been looking for a job for a very long time, to no avail. But finally, I got a job at 'Old Chang Kee' and will start my first shift on Tuesday. Can't wait to start working!

There are many perks to have a job. It means money rolling into my pockets, Christmas presents for my family and dearest boyfriend, being productive with my life, having enough money to hang out with friends, being able to buy things that I want/need and saving up for future holiday trips with the boy. Yes, I'm finally having goals in life that I can achieve for. You know, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted in life for the past few months. After a phone call with Amanda, she did make me think a lot about my future. Yes, although I'm only 20 and still young, I'm almost an adult (21 years old). Perhaps I should grow up according to my age rather than the person that I feel I am.

So yes, a big thank you to dear Amanda for helping me realise that I need to have a goal in life, so that my life wouldn't be so purposeless and montonous. Sometimes, you just need someone to give you a tiny push in life. Just so that it gives you opportunities that you might not be aware of.

Family Photoshoot + Job Interview?

2011-11-15T00:00:00.000+08:00

I had a family photoshoot last month - which is also the first time that I've had makeup on (in a very long time). We were allowed to pick our outfits for the shoot, but the backdrop was decided by the photographer. Although the makeup wasn't what I would acknowledge as satisfying, but I guess I looked pretty decent. This is my favourite family picture out of the lot:

I know that I've gone on a very long hiatus, and so, I'm going to make it up to you with the above picture. On another note, I've applied for many jobs for the past few weeks. This morning, I received an email from a company, asking me to go for an interview. The job involves Marketing (which will help in future, considering that I'm doing a Commerce degree). I really hope that I'll get the job, because of two simple reasons:

1. The pay is $650 to $1000 a week.
2. I need a job desperately.
3. It will help me in future endeavours.

But there is one thing that is pulling my confidence levels down. That is the fact that I have a shy and quiet personality. Their selection criteria is someone with an outgoing personality, with excellent communication skills. That sounds far from who I am, but I guess I'll just give it my best and see how things go. If I don't end up getting the job, I guess it's not God's will at all. I'll just let things take its toll, I guess. *shrugs*

How my life has changed/stayed the same.

2011-10-19T01:02:00.000+08:00

Whoa, it has been ages since I've updated my blog. I've had numerous people contacting me on Facebook, MSN and via text message asking whether I still blog or have ditched it for good. Well, this is your answer: I'm back. My hiatus was only temporary, as I just didn't have enough time to update this blog. Nevertheless, let's get back to the topic of how my life has changed/stayed the same.

Since young, my mum has always given me a high level of trust. Want to go clubbing? No problem. Want to sleepover at a friend's place? No problem. Want to hang out with friends until 3 am? No problem. Want to go fishing? No problem. All I have to do is to tell her who I'll be hanging out with, what I will be doing/what I think I will be doing, where I'm going and whether I'll be coming back for dinner. It's as simple as that. I get to do whatever I want, as long as it's not unreasonable, like 'taking drugs', 'smoking pot'...etc. You get the drift. So that routine hasn't changed despite now being in a relationship. I still get the same amount of freedom as I used to. Very pleased with that.

How my life has changed? Well, I admit that I had some ups and downs with my boyfriend during the first two months of our relationship. I would get upset over the littlest things, and he would get annoyed at me for silly reasons. That, is indeed expected, considering the fact that we are both Cancers aka moody personalities. But ever since he came back to Perth from his 1 month holiday in Hong Kong, our relationship has become so much stronger. We are learning to give and take, and trying not to be so sensitive about stupid things (which I tend to do). So far, the success rate is 100%. Thus, we have spent the last 5 days with smiles on our faces, and no frowns at all. It's funny how the honeymoon stage of our relationship seems to come after the comfortable stage. *shifty eyes*

That is a short summary of my life so far. Life's good, for now. ;)

Missha Beauty Products Spree.

2011-09-30T20:54:00.000+08:00

Guess what I bought the other day?

Beauty products! I bought two items from the Near Skin Bio White range. The Luminant Toner and the Inner Repairing Serum. It has been two days of using these products and I can see the significant difference in my skin complexion. It has become smoother and clearer. It has also brightened up the dark spots in my face. I'm not sure whether it'll continue to work as well as it already has, but I'll probably monitor the progress in the long term. If I have time, I might do a blog review.

If you have used these products before, would you be able to tell me whether it has worked for you? I would love to hear what you have to say, thanks! :)

Singing ‘安靜’ by Jay Chou.

2011-09-28T20:24:00.000+08:00

And for once, this is a proper blog entry update as opposed to the recent 'rubbish' that I've posted for the past few weeks/months. The video above is me singing ‘安靜’ by Jay Chou, the popular Taiwanese singer. Like it? Hate it? Leave comments if you wish. :)

Him.

2011-08-13T13:25:00.000+08:00

I've been asked countless times by friends to tell them more about my new relationship. At first, it wasn't a good idea - some things should be kept private, no? But after contemplating about it, I decided that it would be best to update my life on my blog for future reference instead. For all those friends who happened to stumble upon my blog, you're definitely in luck. You will be getting a short 'summary' of what you asked for! Anyway, my boyfriend is 22 years old and is from Hong Kong (basic information you might want to know). His birthday is 2 days away from mine, which makes us both Cancers.

I know that I shouldn't believe in horoscopes, starsigns and whatnot. But I've recently discovered that people who are born around my birthday have a similar personality to me. The classic one is that we are fairly 'shy' people, no joke. Also, I've been told the following:

Cancer x Cancer = Good Love Life.
Cancer x Cancer = Bad Emotional Stability.

Yes! Both me and my boyfriend have emotional unstability due to a high level of sensitivity. Yes, we do have regular mood swings but everything gets better after five minutes - because being so similar, we understand each other pretty well. And this makes it easier to comfort or make the other feel slightly better. According to the starsigns, Cancer man and woman make a perfect match in terms of a relationship. I'm not saying that I believe in starsigns but it's just interesting how it's somewhat true?

By the way, he's going to Hong Kong for a three-week holiday this September and I'm definitely going to miss him to bits. Hopefully, he won't go wild back in his hometown and do things that I don't like him doing (he's pretty adventurous and likes to try new things). Can someone please give me suggestions on what I can distract myself with when he's away? Or what I should give him while he's away?

Gmarket Items.

2011-07-23T00:24:00.000+08:00

Purchased some items from Gmarket, a popular Korean online store. Unfortunately, it's hard to buy items from this website unless you can read basic Hangul characters. Because I've learnt Korean for 12 weeks or so, I took this opportunity to go online shopping on this awesome website. Why not use the advantage to its fullest, right? Enough of blabbering and let's move on to the important bit.

Item: Pink Scallop Shorts.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Item: Polka dot T-shirt.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Item: White transparent blouse.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The quality of clothing is pretty good for the price, which means that I'll definitely buy from them again. There's no doubt about that. Very happy with the fast shipping. At the moment, I'm just waiting for the Gmarket items that my boyfriend had ordered almost 1.5 weeks ago. It's not here yet, because he ordered quite a number of items from the online store. A male shopaholic in the making? Heh.

Updates.

2011-07-22T20:29:00.000+08:00

I haven't been updating my blog for the past few weeks, much to my disappointment. Was planning to note down all my memories so that I can look back on it in the future. Oh well, here is a summary of some of the recent events in my life...

01. I received good marks for my Business Law test.
02. I received good marks for my Business Information Statistics tutorials.
03. Got into a relationship with a wonderful guy, who I now call my boyfriend.
04. Bought some items from Gmarket - shorts and two tops.
05. Got hit on twice while clubbing last week. *rolls eyes*

I might take pictures of my latest Gmarket purchases for my next blog entry. No promises though, but it would definitely be a good 'inspiration' for a post. Would definitely consider it. (Y)

Happy 20th Birthday - 30th June.

2011-06-30T21:04:00.000+08:00

Made by: Diana Goh!

Honestly speaking, I wasn't looking forward to my 20th birthday at all. In fact, I was dreading it to the bone. But when the clock striked 12, I rushed to bed and decided to sleep early (away from all the birthday greetings, text messages and phone calls). My phone, being set on vibration mode, was refraining me from falling asleep. After 45 minutes of tossing and turning in bed, I decided to get up and check out my 'busy' phone. There were many text messages, and 1 missed call. The missed call turned out to be from my best friend in Singapore. Thank goodness, she ended up calling me one more time and we had a short but lovely conversation over the phone.

Unable to fall asleep, I decided to head out of my room to see what my younger sister was doing. She ran to me as soon as she heard me opening my bedroom door, and gave me my birthday present. It was a cross necklace, with a ring attached to it. (Thanks May! ♥) Anyway, I managed to fall asleep after two hours of tossing around in bed. The next morning, I drove all the way to Ken's house at 9.45 am. Helped him with some homework which he was stuck on, before preparing to leave his house for the city. He gave me my birthday present, and insisted that I open it in front of him. However, I refused to do so, as I was too 'shy'. We spent at least 3 minutes trying to persuade each other.

In the end, he accepted my excuse of 'It's my birthday, and I don't want to." Whoo-hoo! I drove us down to Northbridge and we had Yum Cha aka Dim Sum for brunch. We sat there for an hour or so, laughing at my horrible pronounciation of Cantonese words and eating at the same time. He ended up paying for my meal, claiming that it's my birthday and therefore, I shouldn't pay.

As soon as we walked out of the restaurant, it started raining cats and dogs. We stood out in the shelter, just watching the rain pour down. It was taking a long time for the rain to stop, and so I decided to run to my car and get an umbrella. But my friend stopped me, and wanted to do the deed instead. Once again, we had a mini debate on who was to get the umbrella from the car. In the end, both of us ended up running to the car in the pouring rain.

Because it was my birthday, I got to choose the next destination. As most of you can probably guess, it was Utopia (Bubble Tea aka Karaoke Restaurant). We went there, and sang two hours worth of English, Chinese, Japanese and Cantonese songs.

While waiting for Lap to come, we headed down to Perth CBD for some shopping/window shopping. We took a long time searching for that design that he had been eyeing for several months and finally found it. Ken ended up buying a pair of jeans from Levis, which was on discount at $89 AUD - so that was good. As for me, I ended up going to Forever New to drool at all the lovely clothes, shoes, bags. accessories. My friend ended up buying me a bag that I couldn't take my eyes off. He claimed that his present was crap, and insisted on buying me this bag. As usual, I lost the debate! *sad*

We headed off to Pot Black Northbridge soon after, to meet Lap. He wanted to play two games of snooker, and so we joined him. Me and Ken was on one team, while Lap was on the opposition team. Expectedly, my team lost (because I was really bad at the game, oops)! However, the two guys were really encouraging and told me not to give up. Awww. Anyway, we had dinner right after our snooker game, at a new restaurant situated in Northbridge. It was a horrible experience.

The waiter and waitresses didn't know what they were doing, and we stood there for five minutes before getting a place to sit. Mind you, there were at least 7 to 8 empty tables. After that, we asked them how the ordering procedure was like - as we didn't understand the system. The employees just stared at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Okay, if that wasn't bad enough, they scolded both of my friends for taking food from the 'BBQ' table and putting it in our steamboat. How were we to know? They didn't put signs up or anything! Oh well, we're definitely not going back there again.

Attention, Perth-ians: Don't ever visit 小尾羊 in Northbridge.

We spent the rest of the day karaoke-ing and snooker-ing again! I guess that's our two favourite activities in Perth. Here are some of the pictures that we took:

I would really like to thank Ken and Lap for celebrating my 20th birthday with me! Thank you for everything: paying for parking, paying for my meals, paying for karaoke and snooker. I had so much fun, and if it wasn't for you both, my birthday would have been horrible. This is actually one of the best birthdays that I've had in ages. Also, a big thank you to the 100+ people who wished me a Happy Birthday via Facebook, phone and text messages. ♥

Here are the presents that I got this year:

From: My older sister!

From: Sam!

From: Amanda!

From: My younger sister!

From: Ken!

From: Diana!

Before I end this blog entry, I would like to thank Tanya for treating me to dinner on the 27th of June (for my mini birthday celebration). Lap, for paying for my dinner on my birthday. Jennifer for sending me a birthday card via the mail, and Melody who will send me something in the mail soon.

Shin's Birthday Party

2011-06-24T18:09:00.000+08:00

It was Shin's Birthday Party on Tuesday, and the theme was 'Pyjamas'. So of course, all the guests turned up in their sleeping clothes. I usually wear T-shirt and shorts to bed, instead of matching ones (but wore patterns just to make it seem more pyjamas-like). It was a very fun party, as I got to make lots of new friends who were really friendly. We spent at least half an hour cam-whoring and here are two of my favourite pictures from the whole lot.

So anyway, there are 6 more days to my birthday. Unfortunately, I'm not looking forward to it at all, despite the fact that I'm going to turn 20. I don't know why, so don't bother to ask me. On another note, I've been asked by some of my friends regarding what I want for my birthday. Well, here is the answer. Just send/give me a birthday card and I'll be more than happy.

Second Trimester

2011-06-18T23:58:00.000+08:00

In a blink of an eye, two weeks have gone by and my holidays are officially over in 1 day's time. On top of that, Beginners 2 of my Korean class is ending next week. Wow, I can't believe how fast time flies - it's almost impossible to keep track of it. Also, my 20th birthday's just around the corner! The last time I remembered, I was only 15. What happened to the 5 years of my life? That's the main reason why I never fail to remind myself to appreciate, treasure and cherish.

My friend's birthday is around the corner and I don't know what to buy him for his birthday! What can you actually buy for guys? Does anyone have a clue? Please comment my blog entry and help me out in terms of suggestions, opinions and ideas. Much appreciated. (:

Margaret River Road Trip (Day 2)

2011-06-09T19:49:00.000+08:00

We had to wake up at 7.30 am again, as we had booked a Chaffeur Bus to drive us all the way to Augusta for a mini tour. Gnarabup Beach, Mammoth Cave, and Watershed Winery were the three places that we headed to. Fortunately for us, we were the only tourists and therefore, had the whole double-decker bus to ourselves. As the bus was a little old, the ride was very bumpy and it felt as though we were riding on a rollercoaster! If I said that it wasn't fun, I would be lying.

Here are the pictures that were taken at Gnarabup Beach:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Here are the pictures that were taken at Mammoth Cave:

Well, that's all the details regarding my Margaret River Road Trip. The 3rd day isn't exciting enough to update a blog entry on, considering that it would mostly be about the 5 hours we spent sitting on the coach bus and heading back to Perth. Hope you guys enjoyed this update though!

Margaret River Road Trip (Day 1)

2011-06-08T21:02:00.000+08:00

Because I was meant to meet my friend at the train station at 7.30 am in the morning, my mum thought that it would be more convienient for me to sleepover at my friend's place instead. Thus, I spent the night there, bringing along my large backpack, laptop bag and a small recyclable environmental bag (the size of an A4 piece of paper). Those items were supposed to come along for my road trip, whilst my friend only had a large backpack on its own. I guess it may be true when people claim that girls have more 'travel essentials' as opposed to guys. Totally agreed.

We headed to the East Perth Train Station to take the TransWA coach bus which was heading straight to Augusta. Our stop, Margaret River, was in the middle. It was a five hour bus ride and as we knew that we would have to be entertained, I had a Korean Variety Show (Running Man) downloaded the night before. Unfortunately, we only had one show to keep as entertained during our trip, but considering the fact that it was better than nothing, it was rather satisifying. Within 5 minutes into the show, I noticed that Ken was nodding off to sleep. Instead of waking him up, I pulled the earphones from his ear so that he could concentrate better in regards to having a good nap.

We stopped at a Comfort Stop at Bunbury for 15 to 30 minutes, where the passengers were allowed to use the toilet, take a breather and buy snacks from the vending machine. After that, we had to continue on the 5 hour trip to Margaret River. As soon as we reached our destination, we had to follow the directions to the hotel according to my research on Google Maps a few nights back. Luckily for us, we found our way to Comfort Inn - Grange on Farrelly.

Oh yes, before I forget, let me tell you what happened. The hotel room had a door that was connected to the adjacent room but was separated by some kind of foam/cardboard subtance between both doors. It was the exact same thing that I saw in horror movies! I freaked out when I saw that door, and at that precise moment, my friend decided to scare me for fun. Jumping out from beside me, he screamed, "Rawr!" I was taken aback, to the extent that I was on the verge of tears. To be honest, I was kinda shocked at the way I had reacted to the 'scare'. But I soon got over it.

We headed over to the town of Margaret River for lunch. We also went to the Margaret River Fudge Factory which was such a disappointment as it was a very small place and the chocolate tastings were absolutely terrible. As a result, we didn't end up buying anything from that store, despite looking forward to it as a highlight of the trip for the past week. *shakes head* Another letdown was that most of the shops were closed for the afternoon but opened at night. So to speak, there was nothing to do.

We decided to buy some Chicken Treat and a DVD from Coles to entertain ourselves for the night. Thank goodness my laptop came along during this trip! We had dinner, took a shower, before sitting comfortably on the bed watching the movie that we had purchased in the evening. As there was nothing else for us to do, we headed to bed around 11 pm (which was too early for my liking). But then again, we had to wake up at 7.30 am the next day.

Off to Margaret River.

2011-06-07T17:15:00.000+08:00

I won't be updating my blog for another 4 days or so, as I'll be in Margaret River. Going to sleepover at my friend's place tonight, so that we can take the train together in the morning. Heaps stoked for the trip - hopefully everything will fall perfectly into place. I won't be bringing my Canon 450D, as my friend will be bringing his Canon 550D (which is one model up). Thus, it might be a better idea for him just to bring his! Saves me space and trouble. ;)

Till then, ta-ta!

Margaret River (3 days, 2 nights)

2011-06-03T15:50:00.000+08:00

It has been a while since I've been on a road trip, approximately 5 years ago. Considering the fact that we have 2-week holidays between trimesters, we thought that it might be an excellent opportunity to 'tour' South of Western Australia. We couldn't make up our minds about the destination (Margaret River or Swan Valley). In the end, we decided to visit Margaret River because of the Chocolate Factory and the fact that it seems more interesting than Swan Valley. We decided to stay at Margaret River for 3 days and 2 nights, which seems like a reasonable time to spend exploring the place. Both me and my friend will be bringing along our Canon DSLRs for some photography shots, so please await pictures.

At first, my plan was to drive there which explains why I called it a road trip. But my parents weren't too pleased about that, considering that I'm still a novice driver. Thus, we'll be taking a coach bus there, going on a 5 hour ride instead. That's a very long time! So we're planning to watch Hong Kong dramas and Anime episodes on my laptop. Hopefully, that will entertain us during our trip, if we do end up getting bored. Personally speaking, I'm extremely stoked for this awesome road trip to Margaret River.

One of the sweetest girls I know.

2011-05-21T00:01:00.000+08:00

Many people have taken an important place in my life, and have made a deep impression in my heart. One of these is Christina, an ex-workmate (but I rather refer to her as a friend) who never fails to make me smile with her funny antics and kindness. As mentioned previously, I tend to shy away from anyone who's Australian or have been born in Australia - values/culture clash. But this girl has impressed me so much that I feel incredibly comfortable around her. I can say anything I want, and I'll never be judged. When I'm down, she'll never fail to put a smile on my face.

Let me share some of the recent text messages that I've exchanged with her:

(Background story: Christina wants to catch up with me for lunch, but I can't make it because I'm broke. She wants to treat me to a meal, but I feel bad so I end up 'rejecting' her offer.)

Christina: Haha! I'm trying here, Marie. Please let me shout you tomorrow? Doesn't even have to be anything big, you can have whatever you want. I just want to know how you are and what's been going on with University, youth, friends and family.

Marie: Aww, you make me feel bad for 'rejecting' you. But I really don't want to take advantage of your kindness. And you're so sweet, I'm touched.

Christina: Yay! So I'll see you tomorrow at 12? I'll buy you your favourite Bubble Tea too. Yes, I know which one. Hope you're going to be okay for half an hour after class, yeah? I'll get there as soon as possible!

Marie: So touched by your sweetness. Let me shout you one day, when I have more than enough money to survive the month. And yes, I'll be okay for half an hour! Don't worry.

Christina: Haha, that's fine. I really don't mind, my love. You deserve all the kindness from the world because of the very sweet heart God has given you. See you tomorrow, I'm so excited!

So that was the conversation we had 10 minutes ago. I'm really blessed to have a friend like her: Someone who isn't calculative with money, someone who is giving and generous, someone who just wants to check up on a friend's well-being, someone who knows how to make a friend smile. I promise, I will make it up to her one day and thank her for her overflowing kindness.

Major changes in life.

2011-05-20T21:43:00.000+08:00

Considering the fact that my assignments have all been completed, I guess I'm back to blogging. I used to be obsessed with updating my blog every single day. But somehow, my creative juices started to run dry and laziness kicked in. *shakes head in disappointment* Anyway, my final examinations are 1.5 weeks away (Economics, Accounting, Marketing and Communications in Business), and I've yet to bury my head deep in books. Procrastination tends to take over most of my day.

Ever since I've moved from one University to another, it seems as though my life has changed for the better. I'm a happier person, I'm getting better marks for my units, I'm making more friends and I'm getting more pressure and stress in terms of my studies. Okay, maybe the last point wasn't too positive, but the advantages definitely outweigh the disadvantages. As I told my Korean friend (Michael) a few weeks ago, education at Curtin University is 3 to 4 times harder than Murdoch. But I'm happier here, so it's definitely a good change, despite the 'negative' part of it.

I've made many awesome friends during this trimester. 99% of them are international students who come from different countries: Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Korea. I guess I feel more comfortable around international students than local ones, because of the similar cultures and values that we have. This trimester officially ends next week, and I'm hoping that time will pass a little slower. I've adjusted very well to this environment, and so, it explains why it's hard for me to let go.

Video Log - Big Bang and Apple Macbook Pro

2011-05-19T21:04:00.000+08:00

Please be nice with the comments. I'm generally a shy person!

Purpose for Blogging.

2011-05-18T21:27:00.000+08:00

I've been blogging ever since I was 13, the year that my family migrated to Australia. Be that as it may, numerous URLs have accompanied me during that period. At any time that the quality of my blog entries started to deteriorate, I would delete my blog and start afresh. My friends would never fail to kick up a fuss as soon as that happens (which is pretty often, unfortunately). Soon, it was realised that my blogging style had changed from a personal level to a public level. I was no longer blogging for myself, but for others instead. That wasn't originally my plan! How I wish to go back into the past, freely blogging without caring about the existence of an audience.

So to speak, that's what I'll try to do. My blog entries will be filled with my personal thoughts, opinions, values, culture and beautiful memories. No one can change what I want to include in my blog entries - this aspect can only be controlled by me, and me alone. Anyway, for all you blog readers, you can continue reading my blog. The only difference will be my blogging style.

Click here to read my previous entries: Year 2010.

New DSLR lens and Apple MacBook Pro!

2011-05-08T17:21:00.000+08:00

Hello everyone, guess where I'm blogging from? My new Apple Macbook Pro! As some of my friends already know, my laptop permanently died 2.5 weeks ago and I had to make do without it. Thanks to my beloved mum (who suggested for me to buy a new one) and my awesome dad (who had to pay for it), I now have a new baby to play around with. Despite not being used to the new Mac system, I must say that it is very user friendly for a 'noob' like me. Loving my new laptop to bits!

A week ago or so, I hung out with two of my new friends. One of them was really keen on photography (he brought along his DSLR) and gave me permission to play with his lenses. The one he lent me was a 50mm 1:1.8 lens which specialised in the 'depth of field'. I showed so much interest in it that he allowed me to bring it home, and claimed that I could borrow it as long as I wanted to. What a nice friend! I've yet to take awesome pictures though, considering that the final examinations are around the corner.

This month is definitely going to be a busy one. There's one more assignment to complete (by this Wednesday) and the rest are final year examinations. I definitely need to catch up on my work, instead of spending the time procrastinating with the distraction of MSN and Facebook. For all those who are Christians, it would be much appreciated if you could keep me in prayer in terms of my studies. Thanks!

Easter Hangout Northbridge/City.

2011-04-28T23:59:00.000+08:00

It was the last day of the 1-week Easter break, and I spent it hanging out with Ivan and Ken in Northbridge/city. In the train, I was concentrating on my iPhone, replying to text messages from my friends throughout the journey. Upon reaching, I looked up in shock to see Ivan staring right at me. It turns out that he had boarded the same train as I did (in fact, the same stop). But being too 'distracted' with what I was doing, his presence wasn't taken aware of.

He told me that he had been staring at me non-stop in the train, just to get my attention. Apparently, some commuters seemed to think that he was a pervert/stalker of some sort - considering the fact that he was looking at me strangely for 15 minutes. Ivan laughed at me, stating that I had embarrassed myself. However, I still think that he was actually the one embarrassing himself. *giggles*

Soon after, we caught up with Ken and headed straight to MacDonalds for lunch. Ivan was telling me how he has a brain of someone born in 1995, and how I have a brain of someone born in 1964. It was hilarious and it ended up being our personal joke. After our lunch, we headed down to Northbridge for our karaoke session in Utopia. It stated on the sign that it cost $12 for 3 hours per head, and so we took that package. In the karaoke room, we sang English, Chinese and Cantonese songs while cam-whoring for a bit. It was quite a blast, to be honest.

As we still had more time to hang out, we went to Pot Black for some snooker. Ken taught me how to 'position' the stick correctly and I eventually got the hang of it. As Ken was an expert, both me and Ivan were in a team against him. If my memory doesn't fail me, I would say that my team won 5-1. Yay! I guess we are pretty good for amateur players. Timezone was our next destination - we played the drums, VS-ed one another in the car game and played basketball with each other.

We played the car game two times (winner to loser):

1st game: Ivan, Ken, me.
2nd game: Me, Ivan, Ken.

As I was starting to get hungry, Ivan suggested for us to go for Korean BBQ buffet. We had pork, beef, seafood, soup, two bowls of ice-cream each, and lots of water. During our meal, we chatted and joked around with each other. More personal jokes were created between us (Ken is foolish + I'm so cute + Lady Ivana). It was so fun! The guys cooked the meat for me, while I just sat back and relaxed. We spent a total of two hours in that restaurant, eating away.

It was around 8.00 pm when we left for some Bubble Tea at Easyway. I saw my ex-KFC friend (Lilian) working and we chatted for a bit before parting ways. Ken asked me whether I could show him where Metrocity was - so that he could go clubbing someday. We walked all the way there before heading to the train station. We stood around, had a short conversation while waiting for the next train. Ken headed to his train line while me and Ivan walked to ours.

It turned out that Ivan takes the same bus as I do, and so we accompanied each other on the way home. Despite being the class clown, it was interesting to interact with him in a very serious environment. Found out so much about him - probably didn't expect to, but yeah. As soon as I got home, it was realized that my Bubble Tea cup had a tiny hole in it and was leaking everywhere. How sad!

Percentage of Attraction.

2011-04-27T23:31:00.000+08:00

Being a reserved individual, I tend to observe my surroundings and analyze details. A few months ago, a 'theory' was discovered regarding the attraction between males and females. I wouldn't say that my observation is 100% true, but it's something that is believed to be accurate - in my point of view. Last night, some of my friends slept over at my house and we had a discussion about this 'theory'. Everyone seemed to agree with my new-founded ideology. What do you think?

Generally speaking, males are attracted to all females. Vice versa! The only difference lies within the percentage of chemistry between the two individuals. Let me give you a clearer example, so that you can see and understand where I'm coming from.

Percentage of attraction between a male and female:

10% to 50%: Let's stay as friends.
50% to 60%: I would consider you.
60% to 70%: I'm attracted to you.
70% to 80%: I like you more than a friend.
80% to 100%: I love you.

So basically, you will be attracted to anyone of the opposite sex. It only comes down to how much your attraction is, in percentage terms. This determines how you feel about that person and whether a relationship will develop in the future. By the way, this 'theory' works in a personality and looks perspective. And yes, this percentage of attraction can definitely be developed over a period of time.

The main point is: Guys are attracted to ALL girls. Vice versa.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What do you think of my 'theory'? Do you agree or disagree?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Good Friday - ENRICH.

2011-04-22T20:34:00.000+08:00

Just so that you understand the title of my blog entry, 'Enrich' is the name of the cell-group that I'm currently attending. What made it exceptionally special was a cooking competition which determined for the winner to receive an Apple iPod. I was meant to participate in it, but because I had to spend the afternoon day at Church, there wasn't enough time for me to cook my meal. So to speak, I headed over to Andrew's place empty-handed. We had dinner, played an ice-breaker game, watched a movie and chatted for a bit as a group. It was quite fun! Oh, Jake ended up winning the cooking competition.

Let the few pictures do the talking:

Caption: I'm the one in the red top.

Caption: Group picture!

Have a good Easter, everybody! ♥

Korean Beginners 1 (Completed)

2011-04-02T15:57:00.000+08:00

As you can probably see from the picture above, I've finally 'graduated' from my Korean Beginners 1 class at Central TAFE. How awesome is that? Time passes by so quickly that I can't seem to keep up with everything. In a blink of an eye, I've mastered the Japanese language and now, I'm one-third through the Korean language. What precedes? Perhaps Malay, Thai or even sign language (as requested by my parents) would be the next on my list. Learning new languages always intrigues me!

So far, I can speak: English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean - a bit.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

How many languages can you speak? What are they?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

If Only Life Was A Breeze...

2011-03-28T20:39:00.000+08:00

I'll be blogging more about my personal thoughts and views on life in Australia (as requested by a fellow blog reader via Formspring). For all those people who are unaware, I'm a Singaporean who migrated to Perth at 13 years old. Being shy, it was hard for me to adapt to a new environment and so I kept to myself a lot. I had a new house, new school, new environment and had to make new friends. It was like a fresh start in life that I didn't necessarily need. To be honest, it was a very miserable period for me and I would often blame my mum for bringing me to this country - Year 2003 to Year 2008.

"I hate this country, and it's all because of you that I'm here!"

Why? Well, I was bullied in High School for being too shy and people seemed to have a problem with my race (wasn't the only one who was racially insulted though). People would come up to me and call me names like 'ching-chong eyes' and ask questions like, "You come from China?", "You eat fried rice?" and "Ni hao ma?" just to tease me for being Chinese. Perhaps I was being too sensitive, but taking my personality into account and the fact that I'm a shy person, it really hurt my ego.

For the first two years in High School, I would lock myself in the bedroom and cry. That's all I could do. I didn't really have friends that I could actually rely on, and the only thing that I wanted to do was to move back to Singapore. The place where I was accepted for being myself, and where I wasn't judged for my race. I became even quieter than I used to be, and being conservative was what I did best.

Unfortunately, I've been living with that 'scar' for a total of 7 years and haven't gotten over it completely. Time over time, I would think about the moments where I had blamed my mum for bringing me to Perth - even though it wasn't really her fault because she did it for my sake. Entering into University in Singapore isn't as easy as it sounds, and the stress level is too high for a relaxing life. I've finally come to terms that moving to Perth was in my best interest. I've also stopped putting the blame on my mum (it's really not her fault). I feel bad for what I said in the past, though. It was very hurtful!

Anyway, I'm still very shy and this trait doesn't seem to disappear. So to speak, making new friends is considered a personal achievement for me. It's a big step for me to take and I'm living every single day as it comes. As I mentioned in my previous entry, I would text/tell my friends to announce the 'good news' whenever I made a new friend. Nevertheless, that's what I did today but things didn't go too well.

The conversation went somewhat like this:

Me: Hey, guess what? I made a new friend the other day.
Her: Yeah, so what?
Me: It's an achievement for me, because it's hard for me to make new friends.
Her: If they talk to you first, it's not an effort on your part.
Me: Well, it's easier said than done. Oh well, it's still an achievement to me.
Her: Relying on other people doesn't make it an achievement.
Me: Sigh, don't worry about it.

And that's exactly how our 'fight' happened. We ended up going our separate ways, despite heading to the same destination. I was emotionally hurt, because I never thought that I would be put down by a friend (whom I thought that I was close to). While walking on the streets in Northbridge, I reflected on the flashbacks that were running through my mind. Perhaps making new friends isn't an achievement on my part. Maybe it's something that I shouldn't even be proud of. *shrugs*

PS: I ended up working things out with my friend. (:

Irresponsible Speeding Maniacs.

2011-03-26T16:42:00.000+08:00

I simply can't tolerate irresponsible speeding maniacs. It's understandable that most people around the ages of 18 to 22 are going through the 'enjoy and have fun' phase in life, which results in drinking and trying out smoking/drugs for the first time. Personally speaking, I've never gone through that stage and never will. I'm not saying that drinking alcohol is an activity that should be shunned upon, but it's definitely something that I'm not keen in doing. Here are three important points about me:

I have never drank alcohol.
I have never smoked a cigarette.
I have never tried consuming drugs.

Alright, let's return to the main point. Teenagers who speed on the road (challenging other drivers for a race) and blasting music with their windows down. I'm pretty sure you know what I'm talking about. Well, they do have the right to have 'fun' in their own way. But if they end up damaging someone else's property, they still have to hold themselves responsible for their actions. Agreed?

But when I drove home from Korean class, this is what I saw in my garden:

As soon as I saw that, I literally panicked (because my parents asked me to look after the house whilst they were away). At first, I thought that I might have been the one who had knocked the plant over, since I'm still a novice in driving. But it just didn't make sense, because of the following points:

01. If I had driven into the plant, I would have felt the impact from the 'hit'.
02. If I had driven into the plant, the plant would have fallen in another direction.
03. If I had driven into the plant, there would be a loud 'bang'.

So to speak, I conclude that it wasn't me who damaged the plant in my garden and that it was probably some irresponsible speeding maniac who did a 'hit and run'. Seriously, what's up with people nowadays? I had to call my parents in Singapore to let them know what happened - so that they won't get a horrible surprise when they return. Thank goodness they're coming back tomorrow. Sigh, what a day!

Detailed profile of me.

2011-03-24T02:32:00.000+08:00

Truthfully speaking, I'm a very shy and quiet person. Thus, it's not surprising that I tend to sit in the corner by myself/follow my friend everywhere, at parties. I'm definitely not the kind of person who would go up to someone random and say, "Hello, my name is Marie. Nice to meet you!" Neither will I offer my hand for a handshake. People often come up to me, introducing themselves like this:

Stranger: Hi, I'm ________! Nice to meet you.
Marie: Oh hello.
Stranger: *waits for my self introduction*

Problem is, I'm too shy to even introduce myself to others. I just stand there looking straight at them, while they wait for my self introduction - which never seems to happen. Thus, I end up experiencing one of those awkward moments where we both stare at each other without speaking a word. That's me! So if any of you happen to see me on the streets, just remember that I'm not trying to be unfriendly.

No one seems to understand how hard it is for me to open up to others. It's easier said than done! It's something amazing to me, when I finally make a new friend. Which explains why some of my close friends get random messages from me going, "Guess what? I made a new friend in class today." For most people, it's a normal experience in life, but for me, it's like a goal or achievement being met.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Well, here is the main thing I want to highlight:

I made 4 new friends in class yesterday!

Handwriting Tag

2011-03-23T19:00:00.000+08:00

Tezza tagged me in the 'Handwriting Tag'. Although I wasn't very eager to do the tag (because I'm mentally drained), I thought that it would be a good opportunity for me to finally give my poor blog an update. If it wasn't for Tezza, you probably wouldn't see this entry. So thank her if you can!

Here are the questions that were asked:

01. What's your name/your blogger name?
02. What's your blog's name/URL?
03. Write "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."
04. Favorite quote?
05. Your Favorite song?
06. Your favorite band/singers?
07. Anything else you want to say?
08. Tag three to five other people.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As you can tell, my handwriting is a little 'wobbly'. But that's only because I'm mentally drained from two whole weeks of assignments, revision, homework and tests. How I wish for a short break! I swear that my brain is about to explode from the stress (especially since my parents shifted all the responsibility to me). On another note, I'll try my best to blog this weekend. If I have enough time.

Tagged: Amanda, Melody and Jennifer.

Jay Chou.

2011-03-19T02:01:00.000+08:00

Sigh, I know that I haven't been updating my blog for a long time. I've been caught up with so many issues and important matters to deal with. Since my parents are on a holiday, I've been trying to keep the house safe, making sure that the household chores are done, ensuring that my University assignments are up to date, and paying the electricity/water/phone bills for my parents on their behalf. Temporarily taking over my mum's job is definitely an arduous task. Huge admiration for my mum!

Caption: This is Jay Chou.

I digress. I'm sure most of you know of Jay Chou? Personally speaking, I'm not a crazy die-hard fan. But I must admit that I'm in love with his songs and his talent in composing music. For all those people who don't know, there is a guy who looks like Jay Chou - he works at Gelare in Northbridge. So anyway, I stood outside of Gelare along with a group of my friends, and kept going, "Oh my gosh, it's 'Jay Chou'!" And I'm not even a big fan of him, so imagine what will happen if I ended up seeing SHINee?

By the way, I would really love to continue rambling in this blog post. But considering the fact that I have to wake up at 6.30 am for my Korean class, it might be a good idea to head to bed now.

Day + Night Outing with friends.

2011-03-10T23:18:00.000+08:00

Despite it being my 'study day', I hung out with two of my close friends. I caught up with Viola in the city this morning, as it was her last time in Perth - she's moving to Singapore to further her studies. We visited all of our favourite stores, which included: Morning Glory, Easyway Bubble Tea, Forever New and Von Krahl. One thing that we have in common is the love of Korean music and Japanese keychains. So without fail, we headed straight to Morning Glory upon arriving in the city.

As most people know, I'm in love with 'Rilakkuma'. Sitting on the shelf in Morning Glory was a cute, brown Rilakkuma plushie. Thank goodness temptation didn't take over, because I ended up walking out of the store empty-handed. After going into several other stores, Viola handed me a plastic bag, saying, "I have something for you, Marie!" As soon as I opened the bag, I got a mini heart attack.

This is what she bought me:

She gave me such a wonderful surprise, which was quite unexpected, really. I walked around the city for the rest of the day with my mouth half-opened (still suffering from the shock). Viola thought that it was pretty amusing! By the way, thank you for the awesome gift. I'm going to put it to good use.

After my outing with Viola, I headed home to get ready for my hang-out with Diana. I hadn't seen her for several months, as she was on a long holiday. That explains why I was terribly excited to see her again. She picked me up from my house and drove me all the way to Carousel - for dinner and shopping. As usual, we settled on MacDonalds and tried the new burger 'Angus The Great' which wasn't as good as we expected it to be. But I guess it was rather satisfactory.

We walked aimlessly around the shopping centre, trying to find a birthday present for Audrey. It took us at least 30 to 45 minutes in a particular store, trying to agree on what to get her. The funny thing was, Diana was busting to go to the toilet. But she had to hold her bladder because I wasn't done choosing the items. Poor her, she must have felt extremely uncomfortable. Aww.

It was around 8.25 pm that we decided to head home. And guess what? Me and Diana ended up sitting in her car cam-whoring, which caused some stares from neighbouring cars in the parking lot. Oh well, it was pretty fun anyway. The only thing that really sucked was the fact that the pictures turned out bad - which means that I won't be able to upload any of them on my blog, sorry!

By the way, this is what Diana bought me from her trip:

Do you know what's funny? Both Viola and Diana bought me the same Rilakkuma plushie - the only difference is the colour. What a coincidence! As soon as I saw my gift from Diana, I couldn't help but burst out laughing hysterically. What are the chances for two different people giving me the same item on the same day? Anyway, I'm planning to put both of my plushies in my car, as part of decoration.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Does anyone have any ideas on what I could possibly blog about?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Where is the blogging bug?

2011-03-08T20:30:00.000+08:00

Since the blogging bug hasn't visited me in a while, I think the topic for today will revolve around 'online shopping' - since it doesn't require me to rack my brains for ideas. I was surfing through online websites last week, hoping to purchase some new clothes. But upon receiving the statement from my mobile provider, I was in shock to find that $99 AUD was charged to my bank account (for my phone bill last month). I honestly have no freaking idea how I managed to spend so much. Sigh. Nevertheless, I ended up having to delete all the items listed in my shopping-cart. What a harsh punishment!

If you're interested in the items that I 'was' going to buy, please read on:

As soon as I get my hands on some cash, those items will end up in my cupboard. Jennifer told me that she found these pieces of clothing very pretty - which fuels more temptation for me to purchase them. As for the eyeliner, I've read really good reviews for this product and I would love to try it out someday.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Do you like my choices? Which one is your favourite?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Winner of my Mini Giveaway.

2011-03-01T00:22:00.000+08:00

A big thank you to all those who have submitted entries for my Mini Giveaway, which I had hosted days ago. As promised, I chose a random winner with the help of Random.org. The winner is...

Note: Please highlight the box below to reveal the winner.

Winner: Jennifer Ly

Congratulations! I'll be sending the denim playsuit to you as soon as possible. (Your address is already saved on my iPhone 4, so there's no need for you to email me with your details - just sit back and wait for your parcel to arrive!) And for all those who didn't win, I hope that you're not too let down by it. I'll be hosting another giveaway sometime this week, so remember to stay tuned.

Korean Lesson: Day 1

2011-02-26T15:16:00.000+08:00

I attended my first Korean Lesson this morning at Central TAFE. Needless to say, it was extremely interesting and fun. We learnt basic greetings/expressions, as well as the Hangul system - which I had already mastered weeks ago. Also, fluency in both Chinese and Japanese definitely helps when you're trying to take up the Korean language. Maybe that's why it's so easy for me. *sticks tongue out*

Finally got the chance to use my new SHINee (Onew) folder + my new Korean textbook:

Here's a story that I would like to share: I took the seat next to this Asian guy on the train as the other seats were occupied by other commuters. Occupying myself during the journey to my designated stop, I watched SHINee MVs on my iPhone 4 (just minding my own business). However, from the corner of my eye, I noticed that the guy sitting beside me was also watching the MV that was playing on my iPhone 4. Of course, that caused me to feel uneasy from the whole 'staring' business. So weird. O___O

So, I decided to take out my new Korean textbook to revise the new words that I had learnt that day, thinking that it may stop the guy beside me from staring. To my surprise, he continued fixing his glance at me. This time, in a more intense manner. I couldn't figure out why he kept looking at me - was there something on my face? All of a sudden, his phone rang, to which he answered it in Korean. Ah! That's when I matched the missing pieces to the puzzle: He thought that I was Korean too.

PS: According to my Korean friend, Koreans stare if they suspect that you're 'one of them'.

Catch Up Sesh 2011: Emmy.

2011-01-24T21:02:00.000+08:00

Emmy, (as I like to call her) has been pretty occupied with work commitments for the past year or so. I finally got a chance to catch up with her today. Word emphasis: Finally. She picked me up at my house and left her car at Bullcreek Shopping Centre, so that we could take a train to the city. Unfortunately, I had to purchase a train ticket, as I forgot to bring my Smart-rider along with me. We had to resort to 'borrowing' 10 cents from a stranger because I didn't have enough money in my bag. Sigh.

Our day consisted of spending 15 minutes searching for a particular Japanese restaurant - and getting lost in the process, weekly dose of Bubble Tea, having Japanese food for lunch, shopping in random stores, having coffee at Dome, snapping random pictures and making silly videos of ourselves. I'll let all these pictures tell the story, since you probably won't want to read my ranting.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Outfit of the Day

Top: Secondhand from older sister.
Shorts: $29.90 at Valleygirl.
Necklace: $5.00 from eBay.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Do you still catch up with your old friends? If so, how often?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Top 3 Korean Variety Shows.

2011-01-22T21:27:00.000+08:00

Feeling bored these school holidays? Well, I've been entertaining myself with several Korean Variety Shows for the past few weeks. Thought that I would introduce some to you blog readers (because if you're currently reading my blog, you're probably bored to death). Correct me if I'm wrong though. Anyway, here is my list of Top 3 Korean Variety Shows - love or hate it, it's completely up to you:

01. 런닝맨 (Running Man)

Running Man is classified as an "urban action variety"; a never-before-seen new genre of variety shows and will greatly involve the participation of viewers. The MCs and guests are locked in a landmark during closed hours and are required to leave before opening hours. The first team to leave will win, while the losing team will be punished in the landmark. (Credit to: Wikipedia).

02. 패밀리가 떴다 (Family Outing)

Family Outing Season 1 is a South Korean variety show. The show is a two day one night show split into two episodes. In each episode, the "Family" travels to different parts of South Korea and takes care of the house of an elderly family while that family goes on a vacation. The "Family" then accomplishes the tasks left for them by the house's owners. (Credit to: Wikipedia).

03. 스타골든벨 (Star Golden Bell)

Star Golden Bell is a South Korean variety show broadcast on KBS. The show consists of mini-games, which have certain prize amounts. The winning celebrity is then given the opportunity to ring the bell by correctly answering a riddle. If he or she is correct, the money is donated in the winner's name. All "winnings" go to a charity of KBS's choice. (Credit to: Wikipedia).

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Have you watched any of these before? If so, did you like it?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

My New Car: Toyota Corolla 1996

2011-01-15T00:32:00.000+08:00

Went to the city with Rachel, and we spent the whole day drinking Bubble Tea, singing karaoke and eating MacDonalds. It was pretty fun, apart from the fact that my throat was getting dry from all the singing (2 hours long). On the way home, I received a text message from my mum. It read:

Dad got you a car. You will like it but you'll have to share it with me once in a while. Keep it clean, okay? I'll talk to you more about it when you get home.

Upon reading that, I was completely speechless. Didn't expect my parents to buy me a car, considering the fact that we recently spent a lot on our new dishwasher and desktop computer. But well, whatever it is, I'm happy and absolutely can't wait for my Toyota Corolla to arrive. It's going to be added to my precious collection - along with my new iPhone 4, beloved Sony Vaio laptop and my Canon 450D SLR.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Can you drive? What is your dream car?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Arrival of the iPhone 4.

2011-01-11T21:44:00.000+08:00

My mum knocked on my bedroom door and told me that my iPhone 4 had arrived. It was 10 am, which meant that I was still sleeping soundly. Despite that, I immediately got out of bed to play around with my new mobile. Did you know? - I prepared all the applications, music and videos that I was planning to sync into my iPhone 4 several days before. Talk about being impatient. *sticks tongue out*

Here are the applications that I have at the moment:

01. Facebook.
02. Photoshop Express.
03. Australia Post.
04. Paypal.
05. PingChat.
06. Skype.
07. Viber.
08. Windows Messenger.
09. ANZ Go Money.
10. Cut The Rope.
11. Angry Birds.
12. Hangul Tap.

I need more games in my iPhone 4, so I would really appreciate it if you could introduce some good applications. Unfortunately, I'm not willing to pay so free applications will have to do. Many people have asked me to download 'Whatsapp', but there's currently a price tag of $1.19 on it. (My mum doesn't approve of me paying for iPhone applications - so please don't tell me that I'm stingy.)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Do you own an iPhone too? What is your favourite application?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Personal Introduction.

2011-01-09T23:51:00.000+08:00

Life revolves around one question: Who am I?

Here is a formal introduction, especially for those who don't personally know me. I'm a 19 year old Singaporean Blogger residing in Perth, Western Australia. I've been blogging since 2003, but due to my Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), all of my previous entries have been deleted year after year. This probably explains why I'm once again opening a new blog this year. By the way, the first impression that people have of me, is that I'm a shy and quiet individual. That, I totally agree with.

One thing you must really know about me. I'm deeply passionate about Asian cultures and languages, especially if it involves these countries: Singapore, Taiwan, Korea and Japan. So far, I can speak English, Chinese and Japanese. Which explains why my goal for the Year 2011 is to learn Korean - as my multilingual wish-list has to be fulfilled. Who knows? Perhaps one day, I might be a interpreter.

This was me when I was 3 years old. The age where personality, culture, values and beliefs start to develop. Thanks to my beloved parents who brought me up with good values, my personality has been shaped in a positive way. Of course, God also played an important role in this creation.

As a kid, I was a very shy and reserved individual. Even if no one bothered about me for the whole day, it wouldn't even matter. I liked being alone. Every week, my parents would bring me to Church and I'd sit there quietly, listening to the sermon that the priest was giving. I wasn't like the other kids who always had to be entertained with drawing/colouring books and toy cars.

My parents were rather strict in disciplining me. When I was 3 years old, I was trained to read 4-5 books a day. And as time passed by, I ended up becoming a young bookworm. (That explains why I'm short-sighted.) As soon as I turned 4, my mum would leave me home alone with my 3 year old sister. She believed in training us to be independent, from a young age. And when I was 5, I was made to do simple household chores on a daily basis and I haven't stopped since.

Honestly speaking, I thank my parents for this strict discipline that I received when I was a kid. It actually had a huge impact on my personality, culture, values and beliefs. Especially the times that I was caned for misbehaving, that really turned me into someone who never fails to abide by the rules. This has resulted in the following: Never smoked, never drank alcohol, never taken drugs, never played truant, never doing anything that would worry my parents.

It's not surprising that my parents trust me 100% of the time. Whenever I'm at parties or simply out with my friends, I would call my mum/dad to give them updates on what I'm doing. This is the person I am. To me, there's absolutely nothing that I need to hide from my parents. Like my mum always says: "Telling the truth won't hurt. As a family, it's all about understanding."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Is there something else you would like to know about me?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

MISSHA: The Style Art Designing Foundation (Review)

2011-01-08T22:18:00.000+08:00

I'll be doing a review on MISSHA: The Style Art Designing Foundation 12HR. Bought this product at Seoul-mart, located at Southlands Boulevard (for Perth readers) for $24.50 AUD! I purchased a No.23 Chic Beige Colour, which is absolutely perfect for Asian skin. Please refer to BEFORE/AFTER pictures:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

BEFORE

Caption: Before applying.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

AFTER

Caption: After applying.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Did you notice that my scar on my arm isn't as visible as it was in the first picture? The moist product was easy to apply and blended well with my skin. The smell was extremely pleasant to my delight, but not overpowering. Totally recommend this product for anyone who has dry/combination skin.

Rating: (★★★★)

Gives Me Hope (GMH)

2011-01-07T16:43:00.000+08:00

I'm not sure how many of you know of Gives Me Hope, but I definitely want to encourage every single one of you to read it. It's a website where anonymous people post their personal stories/experiences that has touched their hearts deep within. It's one of my best-loved websites in the world.

01.http://www.givesmehope.com
02.http://www.kidsgivemehope.com
03.http://www.lovegivesmehope.com

Here is my contribution of one experience/story that has somehow touched my heart. So, I was did work experience at a particular child care centre for a week, and was able to make friends with the little kids. There was a boy around 7 years old, who had a ear piercing in his right ear. My first impression of him was that he would one day grow up to be a rebel or one of those 'popular' guys in High School.

I was playing with the younger kids in the playground when a large, black ant bit me near my chest area. I scrunched up my face because it really hurt and that little boy noticed that something was wrong. He asked whether I was alright, and I told him that a big, black ant had crawled up my top and bit me. With concerned and worried eyes, he sat beside me and replied, "Don't be frightened. If you take off your top, I will get rid of the ant for you. It'll be alright." Upon hearing that, I felt really touched by his concern and his genuine sincerity to help. His innocence gives me hope. (GMH)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Do you have any (GMH) stories/experiences to share?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Danger: Dying your hair.

2011-01-06T23:30:00.000+08:00

Considering the fact that I promised to blog as often as I can, here's an update. I won a box of Palty dye from Amanda's giveaway not too long ago. Two hours ago, I decided to make good use of it (instead of letting it get dusty in my cupboard). My mum was pretty busy in the kitchen and couldn't assist with the dying of my hair, so I ended up doing it myself. Thank goodness I have knowledge of the Japanese language, because the instructions didn't have an English version to it. Phew!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As you would know (if you have dyed your hair before), the back of the box has examples of the shade that your hair would possibly turn out like. Because my hair was dark brown, it was obvious that the Palty dye would make my hair light brown. Upon washing out the dye, I realised that my hair had become blonde! No, I'm not even trying to exaggerate or making things seem like what they're not.

Needless to say, my parents were shocked at my hair colour. I'm absolutely scared of going out of the house, because of my new image. However, there's no way out for me as I've promised to go shopping with my friend in 11.5 hours time. Someone suggested for me to tie up my hair in a ponytail and put a cap over it. But then again, that's only a temporary 'escape'. Gah! *pulls hair out*

Belated Christmas Present 2010.

2011-01-05T10:30:00.000+08:00

The mailman came to my door with a package addressed to me, to which my beloved mum signed for. It turned out to be from Michael Flores, an awesome friend that I met over the internet via a penpal website (Interpals). By the way, we have known each other for several years. Believe it or not!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Contents of the Package

Caption: A lovely card + $50 USD.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It was really thoughtful of him to send me Christmas money, knowing that I was saving up for my Singapore trip (which is most likely scheduled for the end of 2011). His sweet thought is definitely much appreciated. I'm going to put it aside as part of my savings, and spending wouldn't even be an option.

4th January 2011: Outfit of the Day.

2011-01-04T14:30:00.000+08:00

After what seemed like ages, I finally got to catch up with a High School friend, Sam. We headed over to Westfield Carousel for some shopping, which is apparently the second biggest in the state. Although there were still some bargains left over from the Boxing Day sales, there was nothing that stood out from the pile. Hence, we pretty much walked out empty-handed (apart from one or two items).

Because my annoying fringe was starting to poke into my eyes, Sam was nice enough to buy me two cute ribbon hair clips - so that I could clip my fringe up. She insisted on paying for it, and claimed that it was my belated Christmas present. Her kind gesture is definitely much appreciated!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Outfit of the Day

Top: $5.00 AUD at Jayjays.
Shorts: $19.00 AUD at City Beach.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

We went to K-Mart to 'waste' some time, while waiting for Sam's dad to pick us up. Ended up taking some pictures with my DSLR at an empty aisle, but were scolded by some employee for doing so. She claimed that it was against the law to use a camera in the store, but I'm not very sure how true her statement was. Does anyone know how the law works in Australia? Were we actually in the wrong?

Caption: Cute piggybanks.

I know that most of you haven't seen my face in my blog entries for several weeks. So, I'm going to make up for it with a picture that I took today. Please ignore my very awkward smile - I was concentrating hard on enlarging my eyes (since it always looks small in pictures). *giggles*

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Have you ever been scolded for taking pictures in stores?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Stereotypes of Singaporeans.

2011-01-02T00:59:00.000+08:00

Being a Singaporean, I've always pondered about the stereotypes of my nationality. I've lived there for a whopping 12 years, and so it would be inevitable that parts of the Singaporean stereotype have been etched in my values and upbringing somehow. Although there are both positive and negative sides to being a Singaporean, I would boldly say that I'm very proud of my nationality. The question is, what are the stereotypes of Singaporeans (namely the Chinese race)?

Fact 1: Singaporeans are typically known for being very 'cheap'.

Image credits: Stomp.com.sg

If you put up a sign stating that there are free giveaways/gifts, you'll have a long queue of people waiting in front of your booth. Ask them what they are queuing up for, they will gladly reply, "I don't know. The booth is handing out free stuff, so I'm just queuing up for it." Even if the free gifts are merely packets of tissue paper, Singaporeans would be happy to queue up for an hour just to get their hands on them. If you didn't know, one packet of tissue paper costs around 30 cents. Imagine that.

If there is a tiny 5 cent coin lying under a parked car, a typical Singaporean is known to do anything (even if it involves crawling under it) just to pick that up. Apparently, 5 cents is still money, and it makes a huge difference to their total wealth. Oh right, I forgot. While shopping, if they see an item worth $14.95 SGD, and their wallet only has a total of $14.90 SGD, the 5 cents would determine whether the item is purchased. By the way, please refer to Russell Peters's video for reference.

Fact 2: Singaporeans make you feel uncomfortable on public transport.

Image credits: Stomp.com.sg

Upon the arrival of the next train, Singaporeans get so impatient that they stand right in front of the doors (so that they can rush in to get a seat). They won't even give way to those people alighting from the train, and even resort to pushing and shoving just to get in the cabin. On top of that, some of them are selfish/self-centered enough to put their shopping bags on the seats beside them, so that they can have some so-called 'personal space'. I've publicly showed my annoyance regarding this unacceptable behaviour, but no one seems to care about what I think. Sigh.

Also, Singaporeans like to stare at others sitting around them. I don't understand what's so intriguing about other commuters that they have to make others feel awkward with that action. What's so hard looking somewhere else/minding their own business or entertaining themselves with the games on their high technology mobile phones? I can do that easily, so I don't see why they can't. By the way, what I mean by 'staring', is the continuous fixture of the eyes on another person. Yikes!

Fact 3: Singaporeans don't like to 'lose face'.

Image credits: Flickr.com

If you have been to Orchard Road in Singapore, you would know that the place is incredibly crowded and that the streets are full with people. It's one of the busiest places in the world, if you didn't know that by now. Bumping into someone is absolutely inevitable. The bad thing is that most Singaporeans are too stuck up to be willing to apologise to the other involved party, simply because they don't want to be considered the 'loser'. If that's not bad enough, they like to give you an evil eye to show their hatred (just because of a small bump with another person). I've personally encountered this countless times.

Singaporean kids lead one of the most highly pressured and stressful lives. Parents are so competitive that the kids are forced to get straight As. Any silly mistakes made during the examination might result in a heavy punishment (eg. caning or being grounded for a certain period). Parents even boast to other parents about the abilities of their children, hoping to look good in front of others. I'm lucky to be brought up in a reasonable environment, with my mum just telling me to do my very best.

Fact 4: Singaporeans like to complain.

Image credits: Sauravarya.com

I've grown up hearing stories from other Singaporeans who complain about the Singapore government being money-faced and being too strict with rules. For example, if you commit crimes like robbery, vandalizing or rape, you will be whipped with a 1.27 cm (diameter) rattan cane in jail. There are no exceptions whatsoever - and it doesn't matter whether you're a foreigner or Singaporean citizen. Singapore has a low crime rate, because of strict laws and punishments being put in place. However, Singaporeans don't seem to understand that the government is doing this for their own good.

There also have been many complaints about the Singaporean government being too greedy for money. Yes, they might have an 'Electronic Road Pricing' set in place in most areas in Singapore. But then again, the money does go back to the taxpayers in form of a public good (eg: roads and parks). Because there are fines for jaywalking, not flushing the toilet and even drinking/eating on public transport, Singaporeans reckon that the government is giving excuses to collect money from people.

The Conclusion

Image credits: Fivefootway.com

Even though Singaporeans are associated with these common stereotypes, they still have a positive side to them. These people are very hard workers, as they live a fairly stressful life just to survive and accommodate to the fast-moving economy. Also, Singaporeans have the incredible ability to save money for rainy days, unlike Australians (who chalk up debts by spending money that they don't have). Before you shoot me hate mail, please be mindful that I'm not dissing Singaporeans in any way. In fact, that's my nationality and I'm extremely proud of it. *proudly raising arm in the air* Yay!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Have you been to Singapore before? Did you like the place?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Happy New Year (2011)

2011-01-01T16:00:00.000+08:00

As usual, I'm glad to announce the official opening of my new blog for the Year 2011. Wishing everyone a Happy New Year! May you be filled with happiness and good health, now and in the near future. This signifies a new start to life, and that's where New Year Resolutions come into place. After contemplating about it since December last year, I've managed to think of ten New Year Resolutions for 2011.

01. Put in more effort in my studies.
02. Improve my personality/character.
03. Do more exercise to keep fit.
04. Think positive and be optimistic.
05. Be more sociable and make friends.
06. Better money + time management.
07. Improve my grades (Distinction).
08. Update my blog more often.
09. Have higher self confidence/esteem.
10. Refrain from over-worrying.

For all those people who thought that the year 2010 was bad, here's an opportunity to make 2011 a better one. Forget all your regrets, forget all your sorrows. Rather than ponder on the past, it's the perfect time to welcome the future. So before I make an official move to the year 2011, here are some flashbacks of the previous year (that I would like to keep a memory of) so that I'll never forget it:

Passed my driving test, made friends with Bloggers like Melody, Min, Jennifer, Tam and Vu, confided in people regarding my problems/secrets, danced with random guys at a club, made three good friends at University, changed my fashion style and fell out of love. Although some of this memories aren't something that I would like to remember forever, but it's worth mentioning on this blog anyway.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What are your New Year Resolutions for the Year 2011?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Bad Girl.

2010-12-27T20:31:00.000+08:00

I have been a bad girl, by ditching my blog for several weeks (if I'm not wrong). To be honest, I wasn't even busy with life at all. It was just plain laziness. I shall make up for it next year though - you can look forward to daily blog updates + more pictures and peeks into my life in 2011. Oh, yes. How was your Christmas? I spent mine clubbing with a friend, and made several new guy friends. Let's just say that it was an interesting night, involving a combination of alcohol and vomit.

Accompanied my dad to the podiatrist because I was told that he was Korean. (As most people know, I'm into Korea at the moment!) As we were walking into the building, I noticed that my dad's singlet was inside-out and told him about it. As we sat in the Waiting Room, my dad decided to fix his top, hence removing it. The podiatrist happened to walk in on my dad without a shirt, and had a weird look on his face. I couldn't stop laughing, it was just so funny. Hehe! *rolls on the floor giggling*

Guess who's back?

2010-12-15T21:20:00.000+08:00

Ah, I have been disappearing from the blogging scene for many days. However, I have a very good reason why. Like every other year, I go through a life makeover. New blog, new hairstyle, new outfits, new improved personality, new goals and a new mindset. It has been really stressful trying to change my life for the better, but it's totally worth it. *cheers*

Since Christmas is around the corner, here is my wish-list:

01. A tripod for my Canon 450D.
02. Money, money, money.
03. An iPhone/iPod Touch.
04. New clothes.
05. A holiday to (Singapore, Taiwan, Korea)

My parents gave me $100 AUD for Christmas, aww. And well, I'm not expecting to receive any Christmas presents this year, so please don't give anything to me. Unfortunately, I'm very broke this month and won't be able to give everyone Christmas presents as well. Sorry! D:

Video Log with Amanda #2.

2010-12-07T14:31:00.000+08:00

Amanda came over yesterday afternoon to hang out for a bit. Due to boredom, we decided to do video logs + mini photoshoot to pass the time. Here is our second video log - Perfection/Imperfection Tag?

Caption: Me and Amanda (Left to right)

This is our first time collaborating, so please pardon any mistakes made. By the way, I'm still sick and that explains why my voice sounds different. Enjoy! Leave comments if you wish.

Video Log with Amanda,

2010-12-06T18:41:00.001+08:00

Amanda came over this afternoon to hang out for a bit. Due to boredom, we decided to do video logs + mini photoshoot to pass the time. Here is our first video log - What's in my wallet?

Caption: Me and Amanda (Left to right)

This is our first time collaborating, so please pardon any mistakes made. By the way, I'm still sick and that explains why my voice sounds different. Enjoy! Leave comments if you wish.

On the verge of dying.

2010-12-02T15:45:00.001+08:00

The title says it all. I've been cursed with a terrible sore throat, fever, runny nose, headache, irritating cough and my muscles ache so much. I should have taken more care of my body during this period of season change. *shakes head* Oh well, I'll continue to drink heaps of water and rest more. Don't worry!

Anyway, these were the things that I did today:

01. Post Vivian, Nicole, Alicia and Melody's giveaway prizes.
02. Submit my Letter of Acceptance to Curtin College.
03. Clock hours for my new log book - Passed my driving test.
04. Enrolled in a short course for Korean (Beginners 1) at TAFE.

It was pretty much a productive day. The only thing that didn't make it so exciting was the fact that I sneezed at least 10 times today, which made people stare at me. Meh, at least I won't see them again. Tee-hee! By the way, I think I should stop typing this blog entry for now and have a short rest.

Mini Outing with my Online Buddies.

2010-11-30T19:14:00.000+08:00

I finally managed to hang out with Willabelle and Andrea after what seemed like 100 years. Did you know that I first met them online? Our friendship just progressed to the stage that we ended up hanging out with each other in person. So anyway, our whole day involved catching up on gossip (whether so-and-so has a boyfriend), having Bubble Tea, eating sushi from Jaws and shopping!

I shall let the pictures do the talking:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

And because I haven't been doing an Outfit of the Day, here's one to make up for it:

Outfit of the Day:

Top: Factorie
Shorts: Von Krahl

The giveaway on my blog ends tonight at 11.59 AM, so if you haven't joined yet, this is your last chance to. I will be contacting the winner as soon as possible, so be sure to check your email/my blog.

Rambles + Rant.

2010-11-24T22:27:00.000+08:00

So, I've just been infected with the blogging bug, which explains why I'm currently typing up this entry. Before rambling on, I want to tell everyone that my last examination ended this afternoon. *throws hands up in the air* Yay! Do you know what that means? I can party at Dynasty on the 26th of November, along with another 7 people, including Amanda and excluding Diana.

Apparently, there will be Kpop playing at Dynasty. To be honest, that's the reason I'm so excited for this clubbing event. Hopefully the whole Kpop thing is not part of rumours/gossip, but something that is definitely happening. Or else, I'll be very disappointed, somewhat like a kid being deprived of chocolate. But even if there's no Kpop, I'm still going to enjoy the night with the company of my friends.

Talking about Kpop, I've recently been interested in a boyband (SHINee). Their songs are very catchy, especially Lucifer, Hello and the most over-rated song out of all, Ring Ding Dong. My favourite member would be Onew, whose personality is portrayed as shy and quiet?

Caption: Onew, Taemin, Jonghyun, Minho, Key

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Just the other day, my mum bought me and my younger sister something for our room. It looks like a seat, but you can store items after taking the cover off. It saves space, and it does make my room look so much neater. The best thing is that it matches my room's colour coordination, as it's black in colour. Took some pictures to show you what I mean by the following explanation:

to THIS

It's so comfortable sitting on it, as it feels like a mini sofa. My beanbag seems a little redundant now, since I've replaced it with my new room accessory. Maybe I should just put it away, so that my bedroom can look more spacious? *shrugs* And by the way, for all those people who think that I deliberately cleaned my room prior to my bedroom post, you are so wrong. Haha!

PS: Don't forget to join my latest giveaway!

Entire Layout of my Bedroom.

2010-11-18T17:00:00.001+08:00

I know that I've done a blog entry on my bedroom ages ago, but the post has since disappeared. Let me guess, I must have had an OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) attack again. Who thinks that this must be the reason for my vanishing blog entry, put up your hand! For all those blog-readers who have never seen the interior of my room before, here is your chance.

Caption: My cupboard.

Caption: My cupboard - Section 1.

Caption: Section 1 (Folded clothes).

Caption: Section 1 (Beauty/Skin products).

Caption: Section 1 (Storage boxes).

Caption: Section 1 (Mini bag collection).

Caption: My cupboard - Section 2.

Caption: Section 2 (Colour-coordinated clothes).

Caption: Section 2(My cupboard's shelves).

Caption: Ikea Shelf - Top.

Caption: Ikea Shelf - Bottom.

Caption: Beanbag + Laundry Basket.

Caption: My bed + study table.

As you can tell, the colour scheme of my room consists of white, black and purple. Oh, and have you realised that I have weird pastel yellow patches on my bedroom wall? My dad used some putty to cover the holes in the wall, and we've yet to re-paint my room. However, I have a bucket of paint lying in my cupboard (ready for me to use). Will be doing that during the end-of-year holidays. Can't wait!

PS: Don't forget to join my latest giveaway!

Memories of Singapore (2004)

2010-11-17T20:15:00.003+08:00

In my head, I can clearly remember my Singapore days. The times we would book the function room and have BBQs with 5 to 6 families every weekend. The adults would sit around the swimming pool chatting, while the kids would run around playing games. It was indeed a routine for 4 years, before we actually migrated to Australia (and had to leave our beloved friends and family behind). Whenever I think about it, I feel extremely sad and depressed. But thanks to my awesome sister who found some old pictures lying in a CD, I can now look at them for reminiscence purposes.

Spot me: The girl in the pink top and over-sized faded jeans.

Everyone wrote meaningful messages on a huge poster, so that we would be able to bring it with us (to Australia). That way, we would always remember them. How sweet is that? ♥

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Evergreen Park, the condominium that we used to live in, will always be in my heart. Of course, I would have to thank all my childhood friends who have been part of these wonderful memories: Azlin Ya'acob, Juliana Ya'acob, Bryan Wong, Aaron Wong, Edith Chua, Edna Chua, Edmond Chua, Pearlyn Siew, Jewelyn Siew, Jacky Siew and Sheryl Tang. If I've missed out anyone by any chance, please let me know. It's essential that I list everyone down (and not leave anyone out).

I love every single one of you, and sometimes I get emotional when I recall all the memories we used to have together. The fights, the quarrels, the bullying, the childish games, and all the times we would go: "I don't friend you!" I treasure and cherish them from the bottom of my heart, and I would do anything to relive those moments. It's one of the most precious things in my life.

FAQ - About Me

2010-11-15T16:22:00.000+08:00

After reading Melody's latest blog entry, I've decided to do an FAQ post too. I've been caught up with upcoming examinations that I've hardly any inspiration within me (and that's why an FAQ post would have to do, for now). Here are questions that have been asked recently/in the past:

English Name: Marie Eileen Zhang.

Chinese Name: Zhang Qian Mei. (張倩美)

Nationality: I'm actually Singaporean Chinese. My dad is Singaporean Chinese and my mum is 1/2 Peranakan/Nyonya-Baba. Might be mixed with a little bit of Dutch or Portuguese blood in-between. However, I can't be 100% certain.

Place of birth: Spent 12 years of my life in humid Singapore since 1991. In the Year 2004, I migrated to Perth, Australia with my family. Might plan to move back to Singapore or maybe to Taiwan in the near future.

Languages: I can speak English, Chinese, Japanese and random bits of Cantonese and Malay. Currently attempting to learn the Korean language, and planning to be fluent at it. After that, I will try improving my Cantonese and take up Hokkien.

Likes: Fashion, photography (if you're wondering - I own a Canon 450D DSLR), blogging, snail mail, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Japan, bows, online-shopping, ruffles, skirts, dresses, shorts, singing and dancing.

Pet Peeves: Judgmental people, liars, self-centered individuals, un-trustworthy people, those who are un-civilized..etc. I think you probably get the drift?

What is your ideal/dream job? I've always wanted to set my own business, but that will require a lot of capital and business-planning. I'm not sure whether I'm up for that. But yeah, I'd also like to teach English in Taiwan.

PS: Don't forget to join my latest giveaway!

PPS: Feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this blog entry if you have a question to ask me. :D

Short Update

2010-11-11T17:17:00.000+08:00

Some people mentioned that they would like to see personal 'thoughts' on my blog. Well, your dream has come true! I was talking to my mum and younger sister this afternoon. Apparently, my parents are planning for a short getaway late next year or early 2012, as a family. Guess where we might be going?

01. Perth to Singapore.
02. Singapore to Bintan.
03. Bintan to Singapore.
04. Singapore to Bali.
05. Bali to Singapore.
06. Singapore to Perth.

Unfortunately, this plan is not confirmed at all. So to speak, I really shouldn't raise my hopes and get too excited. But to be honest, I absolutely can't help feeling happy inside. Singapore is pretty much one of the favourite places in the whole entire world. It's also my beautiful homeland, that I'm proud of.

PS: Don't forget to join my latest giveaway!

Giveaway Time.

2010-11-07T18:14:00.002+08:00

EDIT: Many people have stated that I don't have past blog entries links on my blog. My blog archives are under the 'Links' section, for those who don't already know.

Hello to all my blog readers. *waves* As mentioned previously, I wasn't planning to host any more giveaways on my blog. However, I felt that I had to make up for my infrequent blogging. So to speak, let me introduce my latest giveaway! Are you ready? Just refer to the pictures to see the 'prizes':

So basically, there are three colour sets that you can choose from. Blue, pink and yellow. To participate in this giveaway, you need to be a follower on Google Friend Connect and this step is mandatory.
Fill in this form, and leave a comment:

Name:
Email:
Blog:
1st Choice (colour):
2nd Choice (colour):
3rd Choice (colour):
How I can improve my blog:

Please don't claim that my blog is perfect and that there's absolutely nothing to improve on. Because there's always room for improvement and I would like to know your honest opinion. Thanks for understanding. So anyway, the second part of this giveaway is open to anyone who owns an iPhone. I'll also be giving away a Hello kitty iPhone sticker (for all those girls who like cute stuff).

Just fill in this form (it's different to the one above):

Name:
Email:
Blog:
What do you like about my blog:

This giveaway will end on the 1st of December 2010 at 11.59 pm (Perth time), and is open internationally. Only one entry per follower, and the winner will be chosen at random. You are not required to re-blog about my giveaway, so don't worry about that. (:

PS: Good luck!

San Churros

2010-11-06T23:53:00.000+08:00

It has been a very long but eventful day for me. Despite upcoming examinations, I already have a mini line-up of blog entries. Yes, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. I'll be blogging about Tanya's birthday at San Churros, mini-giveaway for my very dedicated blog readers, probably a Palty hair dye review (if everything goes smoothly, according to plan) and a combined video log with Amanda. Before I start this entry, I would like to wish Tanya a very Happy Birthday once again. The more the better!

This is exactly what we ate. One word to describe it: Delicious. There were so many dippings to choose from, and I personally liked the 'Caramel' one. I ate so much that I was pretty much bloated at the end of the night. No kidding. After the food, we started to cam-whore (what we do best).

For Tanya's birthday, I ended up buying her a cute Hello Kitty rubbish bin. She liked my present, so I'm very pleased about that. Anyway, I'm getting a little tired, so goodnight! (:

Shopping Trip with Melissa.

2010-11-01T20:13:00.001+08:00

So basically, I met up with Melissa in the city this afternoon. As she was still hanging out with her other friend, I browsed in my favourite store (Morning Glory). What really caught my eyes was a Big Bang album, some 0.3 felt pens, cute contact lenses case, Rilakkuma file holder, Rilakkuma notebook and cute cartoon band-aids. So many items were on my to-buy list, but I remembered Amanda scolding me the other day, because I bought too much. (So I ended up picking three items out of ten!)

As I was paying for three items, the Korean girl at the counter talked to me:

Girl : Hello! You're here again? How are you?
Marie: Yeah. Heh, I'm good thanks.
Girl : I remember your face.
Marie: Oh really?
Girl : Yeah! You're a regular customer.
Marie: Ah, I think I come here once every week.
Girl : You didn't come last week. I didn't see you.
Marie: O___O Wow!

I can't believe that she remembers me, and actually knows how often I visit. Now you can imagine why I consider Morning Glory as my favourite store in the city. Anyway, here are the three items:

Caption: Contact lens case, two pens

Caption: Inside of the contact lens case

Me and Melissa spent the rest of the afternoon walking aimlessly around the city. With Bubble Tea in our hand, we caught up on random gossip. It was so nice to see her again, after several months. Unfortunately, Audrey wasn't feeling very well and couldn't join us. Really hope she'll feel better soon! Anyway, this is it for now. I need to start studying for my upcoming Economics examination.

Infrequent Blogging = Boo.

2010-10-27T17:51:00.000+08:00

Unfortunately, I've started to become one of those infrequent bloggers. You know, those who update their blogs every month or so? Phew, thank goodness I'm not that bad. There's so much to do, but so little time! *le sigh* I've to prepare for a presentation for my Management tutorial, and end-of-year examinations are around the corner (and I do mean, very close). I hope that 2011 comes by soon.

Caption: Management Presentation Poster

Anyway, I caught up with Christina Sim this morning for breakfast in the city. Our plan was to have MacDonalds - particularly a McMuffin meal. She ended up arriving half an hour later, around 10.25 am. When she called to notify me that she had reached, I was actually trying on some clothes in Von Krahl. I took 3-5 minutes to figure out whether Top A or Top B was nicer, before leaving the store. As we were walking to the nearest MacDonalds branch, we realised that it was already 10.35 am.

Really wanted to have breakfast at MacDonalds, so I ran there as fast as I could. Christina was laughing at my reaction because I looked extremely desperate for a McMuffin meal. The guys who were walking beside her ended up commenting on my 'desperate run'. It was totally hilarious. Anyway, we didn't make it in time for the breakfast menu, to which we decided to have Japanese food instead.

Met up with Diana later in the afternoon, and we did some shopping:

Caption: Rilakkuma File and Notebook

Caption: Purple Nail Polish

Caption: Dotti Footwear

It was a fun day, overall. To sum it up: Met Christina in the morning for breakfast, had lunch/Bubble Tea and did some shopping with Diana. Ended up bumping into an ex-colleague from KFC (Claudia) as well. Pretty exciting to meet three friends in one day, yeah? Anyway, I shall continue preparing for my Management presentation poster which will be due on Friday. Stress! *frowns*

The Arrival of October's Parcel.

2010-10-22T21:20:00.000+08:00

Sigh, I haven't been updating my blog in a million years. University stress is definitely getting to my head, with assignments to complete and end-of-year examinations around the corner. Huge amounts of stress really got to me yesterday, with my Management Report due this Friday morning. I was placed in a group with two other guys. One of them practically did no work, leaving me and the other guy to finish 1/2 the report each. *shakes head* Individual work is so much easier to handle!

On a side note, I finally received my SFC (Show Fan Club) parcel:

Caption: SFC Parcel

Caption: Fan Club T-shirt

Caption: Fan Club DVD, Membership card and Notebook/Diary

After 3 months of waiting impatiently, I've finally received the parcel. Love wearing the (S-sized) T-shirt, although it looks quite big on me. Oh well, I shan't complain with what I already have. So guys, what do you think? Is $75 USD worth joining a fan club for 1-year and owning a limited edition DVD, membership card, personal diary/notebook and a fan club T-shirt? You tell me! (:

Samson's Farewell

2010-10-18T23:59:00.029+08:00

Around 6.00 pm this evening, I attended Samson's Farewell Party. We had some dinner, before mingling around with some people who were present. To my surprise, I ended up befriending two new people (very amazing, considering the fact that I'm shy). Before we headed to the airport to send Samson off, a handful of people were giving official speeches; letting him know how important he was, as a friend.

After that, we headed to the Perth International Airport. We sat/stood around outside Red Rooster, chatting while waiting for time to pass. My friend wanted to have a look at my Canon 450D, and we ended up taking some pictures with Samson - my friend who's leaving...

Caption: Me and Samson

Caption: Samson and me

As you can tell, I only uploaded those pictures that featured me in it. You may view the rest of them on Facebook (if you are on my friend's list). Anyway, here is my official 'Outfit Of The Day'!

Outfit of the day:

Dotted-Top: Free Fusion
Dungaree: Forever New
Ring: Diva

And this part of my blog entry is specially dedicated to Samson: Have a safe flight to Singapore and I hope to see you in a few years time. Thank you for being such a caring and thoughtful friend, and it was my pleasure knowing you. May God bless you in everything you do. Take care! (:

Vote: Love Signs Competition

2010-10-16T21:46:00.003+08:00

Two weeks ago, I hosted a 'Love Signs Competition' on my blog. Unfortunately, almost none of my blog followers are active (joining contests, commenting..etc), which explains why I ended up with only three entries. This has taught me a lesson: 'Never host a competition again, because no one will ever be willing to participate in it.' Needless to mention, this may be my last competition that I'll host. *shrugs*

Now for my 'Love Signs' competition, here were the three entries:

Caption: Participant 1 - Melody Chong @ http://melludee.com

Caption: Participant 2 - Vu Hoang @ http://veryvu.blogspot.com

Caption: Participant 3 - Tam Nguyen @ http://tamnguyen91.blogspot.com

All YOU blog readers, please participate and vote for your favourite 'Love Sign'. Your vote will determine the winner, who will receive a mystery prize from me. Come on, do your part and vote. Participants are allowed to ask their friends to vote for them (if they wish). ♥

Outing with Jocelyn.

2010-10-14T21:31:00.000+08:00

I finally managed to hang out with Jocelyn, after several months of not catching up with her properly. We headed down to the city for lunch, Bubble Tea at Easyway and shopping. It was pretty fun, because we brought up topics about everything and anything, as we walked around aimlessly for 5 hours.

At Forever New (our favourite store), I spotted this cute denim Dungaree short. It was priced at $69.99 AUD. As a natural reaction to the price, I walked away from it. (Besides, I've run out of spending money for the month!) Jocelyn asked me to try it on, and after much persuasion, I gave in. She claimed that the dungaree short looked good on me, to which I agreed. The next thing I knew, she was at the counter paying for it. Oh my goodness! Apparently, it's my late birthday present? *le gasp*

Caption: Denim Dungaree Short @ $69.99 AUD

Thank you so much, I really love it. For the past two days, I've had two people (Amanda and Jocelyn) buying me pieces of clothing even though I didn't ask for it. You guys really know how to make me feel loved, and I'll forever be indebted. Awesome people in my life, no doubt about that. *cheesy smile*

Von Krahl

2010-10-13T23:41:00.026+08:00

I went to the city with Amanda to shop and study in the state library today. We stopped by Forever New, Dotti, Easyway and finally, at Von Krahl. They had a range of clothing ranging from $13 to $25 AUD. It was on sale at such a cheap price, that Amanda went absolutely crazy. She grabbed a handful of clothes from the rack, and headed to the changing room to try them on. *nods head slowly*

As for me, I had my eyes on a semi denim high-waisted shorts which had a bow attached to it. Unfortunately, I was broke so I ended up putting it back where I found it. Amanda made me to try it on anyway, and insisted that she was going to pay for me. My attempt to stop her failed terribly, as she refused to grab the last note I had, from my hand. Sigh, thank you Amanda! Love you. ♥

Caption: Semi Denim High-Waisted Shorts

We did some studying before we headed home. Okay, fine, I admit. I didn't really work on the Economics essay that I was meant to complete. Ended up procrastinating by helping Amanda with her Japanese homework and memorizing Hangul characters. To sum it up, my day of studying consisted of only languages and nothing else. Success rate? Failed.

Samantha's Party.

2010-10-09T02:26:00.000+08:00

Firstly, I apologise in advance for acting weird at the party - in other words, sitting in the living room watching television, while everyone else were singing! By the way, to all those people who thought that I hated Amanda (because I was not being myself), you're very wrong. In fact, I found that pretty hilarious, because the matter that I was brooding over didn't involve her at all. To sum everything up in words and make it absolutely clear to everyone: I love Amanda. ♥

Now, I shall share some of the pictures that we had taken at Sam's party.

Caption: Hui Li, Sam and me.

Caption: Diana, me and Hui Li.

Caption: Audrey, Diana, me and Hui Li.

Caption: Group shot 1.

Caption: Group shot 2

Unfortunately, I didn't get to take any pictures with Amanda - so don't bother trying to spot her. On a side note, a big thank you to Hui Li for giving me transport there and back. To end this blog entry, I would love to wish my dearest blogger friend, Melody, a very happy birthday. ♥

Friday's Shopping Purchases.

2010-10-02T23:57:00.005+08:00

Thank you to all those people who commented on my previous blog entries, helping me find a new image host. That's why I've managed to upload new pictures for this blog entry, yay. On another note, I went shopping on Friday, with Amanda and 'Kura'. We were looking for someone's birthday present, but ended up getting sidetracked. In the end, I walked out of the shopping centre with:

Caption: Denim Bow with pearls.

Caption: Japanese-like top.

I'm not going too much into detail because I'm feeling extremely lethargic due to several reasons. Here's a short summary of my day:

01. Went to Andrew's place for food preparation.
02. Helped set up a 'Ramly Burger' store at Pasar Malam.
03. Helped with the grilling/barbecuing for four hours.
04. Met one of my blog readers there, for the first time.
05. My feet hurt, my leg muscles are pulling, and my arm is sore.

No energy to blog productively, so you'll have to deal with this one. It's the best I can do, considering the fact that my body is aching like nobody's business. To all those people who have been checking back on my blog for new updates, this blog entry is dedicated to you. *pokes Tam*

PS: Pictures on previous blog entries are still exceeding bandwidth. Don't worry, it's a temporary issue.

Package Swap with Jennifer.

2010-09-29T19:56:00.000+08:00

A week ago, me and the lovely Jennifer decided to do a package swap. Because it was our first time, we had a small budget of $20 AUD each. First, we chatted a little via email to get to know each other better. I found out that Jennifer likes pink, cosmetics, pastels, and anything cute. Wow, that's completely opposite from me! *sticks tongue out*

As you can probably guess, I received her package in the mail today:

Caption: Parcel

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - -

- - - - -

- -

01. Teddy bear keychain
02. Cute letter set (72 sheets)
03. Morning Glory notebook
04. Black polka-dot hairclips
05. Mini Rilakkuma notes
06. Letter/envelope set.
07. A very sweet message with a Rilakkuma sticker.

Thank you so much, it was very sweet of you. Hope you'll receive my parcel soon, because I have a feeling that you'll love the items that I've bought for you. Maybe we could do another package swap in future, who knows? Anyway, if you're looking for Jennifer's blog: Click here!

Perth Royal Show 2010.

2010-09-27T23:59:00.000+08:00

You have no idea how tired I am at the moment. Came back from the Perth Royal Show and dinner at Northbridge several hours ago. It's 2.22 am in the morning, and I've just finished uploading all the pictures from my Canon 450D DSLR camera to Facebook. My eyes are about to shut, but I had to keep to my promise (upload pictures as soon as I get home/update my blog). I'll be meeting up with some friends from cell-group for a special gathering and have lunch together with them tomorrow afternoon.

We started our day with a mini-picnic at a park near Sam's house. Unfortunately, we didn't have a picnic mat and had to sit on the grass instead. I'm very fussy about hygiene and so, I ended up sitting on my cloth bag instead. Soon, we realised that there was heaps of big black ants crawling around us and it totally freaked me out. I ended up standing for the rest of the picnic and looked like a complete idiot.

Caption: Sam and Amanda

Caption: Diana

The ducks kept waddling towards us in search of food, and Amanda was so frightened. I tried to scare them away by chasing them, but they kept coming back. We decided to sit on the bench instead, because the ants/ducks were so bothersome. As I was making my way to the bench, I tripped over the unbalanced pavement and ended up falling over. Amanda, Diana and Sam started laughing at me. -___-

Soon, we ended up doing what we do best. Can you guess what it is? Cam-whoring! As you can tell from the pictures, my knees were slightly grazed by the friction from the pavement. It totally hurts from the stinging. Ouch.

Caption: Sam and Amanda

Caption: Three of us

Also, something was so funny that I ended up laughing, and laughing, and laughing:

Caption: Giggling fit

Soon, we headed off to Claremont Showgrounds for the Perth Royal Show! We did quite a lot of things, which included: Animal exhibitions, food exhibitions, show bags, samples, performances, and many more. It was pretty interesting/exciting, apart from the poultry section. The pigeons smelt horrible, like a rubbish dump. No kidding, it was that smelly. Eww! Do have a look at the pictures:

Caption: Animal Exhibition

Caption: Pretty cakes

Caption: Show-bags

Around 7 o'clock, we sat around the field/oval because our feet were killing us. (I was wearing wedges, while the rest of my friends were wearing flats!) We entertained ourselves with food, drinks and random photography. Soon, the sky started to get dark and there was the sunset.

Caption: Sunset

Soon, it was time for the fireworks - what everyone was anticipating all day: ♥

Caption: Fireworks

That's all for now. I'm heaps tired, and it would be a good idea to head to bed. Hope you enjoyed reading this blog entry! There are more pictures on Facebook - for all those who are on my friends list. (Please don't add me if you don't know me personally, thank you!) Leave comments if you wish. *grins*

Happy Birthday Amanda!

2010-09-26T23:59:00.001+08:00

It's one minute before dear Amanda's birthday, which explains why I'll be dedicating this blog entry to her for today. Tomorrow's blog entry will be about our outing to the Perth Royal Show, along with two other friends. Can't wait to blog about it! But I shan't give up too many details regarding tomorrow's blog entry - a surprise for now. *blows raspberry*

This is a picture of the birthday girl:

Caption:Happy 19th Birthday Amanda!

A short list of good/bad memories we had together:

* We used to be enemies in High School.
* I tried to tap-in using my ANZ card at the train station.
* I fell down after I laughed at you tripping over the pavement.
* Sleeping over at my place, and I ended up scaring you at night.
* Doing a wonderful photoshoot/failed Vlog at the beach.
* Buying the same jumper from Cotton On Body.
* Getting scared because someone 'touched' our feet while sleeping.
* Study sessions in the Perth National Library.
* Karaoke sessions at Utopia with other people.
* Cam-whoring in public, even though we get weird stares.

There are more, but it would be impossible to type them all up here. It would probably take 1 years to compile a full list, don't you think? Anyway, the special messages will be written in the birthday card (me and Diana's). You'll be receiving that tomorrow during our mini-outing. Can't wait to see you! ♥

Lately, I've been uploading crappy blog entries. But I don't really give a crap about it anymore. My blog is too stuffed to be fixed up to a perfectionist standard. The only thing I can do is to wait for 2011 to come, before 'renovating' my blog as a whole. Will time go by at quicker pace? Please?