I want to...

Dance like no one's watching.
Sing like no one's listening.
Work like I don't need the money.
Love like I've never been hurt before.
Live like there's no tomorrow.

and...

Eat like I'll not gain any weight (n_n)/

Life's too big, too fun, too beautiful.
Why should I stay idle, silent, or bitter?

Oh Lord, open my eyes to this world You created.
And let me savour every moment, every presence, every where.

And proclaim aloud from the bottom of my heart,
That it is very, very good.



Genesis 1: 31 (emphasis italics, mine)
God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.

Christmas Already?

We were at Chadstone (huge shopping mall!!) one weekend for some grocery + homeware + window shopping. Myer was having mid-season sale and we're looking for some towels and manchester. So, we thought, why not have a look in Myer as well?

Oh ya, FYI, Myer is like Metrojaya/Parkson/Isetan in M'sia. Their items are slightly on the pricey side. But you can get really good bargains during their sale. Sometimes, their sales prices are equal or even lower than Target or Kmart...

Oh ya, FYI (again), Target or Kmart or Big-W are like Jusco in Malaysia.

Where was I? Oh ya, Myer's sale...

Lo and behold, guess what was on sale?

...

Christmas items!!!

Actually, we're not that surprised anymore. We realised that sale is a culture here in Melbourne. Pre-season sales. In-season sales. Post-season sales. They never seem to end...

And, at the very edge of winter (read: before winter was over), shops everywhere are having SUMMER sales. *ahem* Have people here forgotten that there's a season in between winter and summer, called SPRING?

So, right now, even when the weather is still so cold and windy (we still do get single digit temperature!), bikinis and swimwear are on sale everywhere! And people everywhere are preparing their body to fit into those sexy, skimpy bikini (for female) and those triangular-shaped, underwear-lookalike swimming trunk (for male).

More people jogging in the park and even along the busy streets in the city (yes, imagine jogging along Jalan Tun Razak). More people hitting the gym. People taking fruits and salads for meals. Slimming and lose-weight programs advertised everywhere. Guys trying to divide their united, singular-pack into six.

People here really work hard for summer.

Anyway... back to the sales...


I see, I see a Christmas tree... What month is this?


I see, I see another Christmas tree...


A chubby and cute Gandalf (Lord of the Rings) statue.... Yes, hubby? ... Ohh... It's not Gandalf?? It's Santa Claus????


Cute kangaroo celebrating Christmas!

On the Way to Church

A view on the way to church on a sunny Sunday...

On the Way Home...

On the way home one fine day. Can't help but to snap this photo.

Broadband Internet

Now that we have our own unit, we applied broadband internet so we can surf the net at home. Hubby can also “snake” work at home.

I think we have, like, 80 Gig a month (or something like that) – 40 Gig for off-peak hours and another 40 Gig for peak hours.

After a week or two, hubby looked at me with a somehow sad expression and sighed.

“Dear,” he sighed, “I think we’re overpaying the subscription and under-utilising the broadband.”

“Oh, really?” I questioned. It’s not so surprising to me, actually. I don’t go online at home. I don’t even want to open my notebook at home. My notebook shall sit quietly in my Hennley’s notebook bag (yes, she loaned it to me), in the corner of the room. I’ve been facing the notebook the whole 8-working-hours, and I’m not going to face it after work.

Yes... NOT even Facebook can tempt me...

I am DETERMINED!!

I am INVINCIBLE!!

Bwahahaha....

“Dear,” my hubby sighed again, “will you PLEASE make good use of the bandwidth? Else, I think we need to consider another subscription plan.”

Ah... my hubby is pleading me. How can I ignore his sorrowful cry for my help?

“Ok dearest, I’ll try my very best” I promised him.

And indeed, I fulfilled my promise to the maximum. I heed his cry. I noticed the pointless waste. And I stood in between the gaps... of the unused bandwidth...

And thus, I started my journey to redeem the lost ... and the unused bandwidth...

...

...

...

I started streaming Korean dramas.

In the beginning, I streamed 1-2 episodes per night. The drama is really very interesting. Then, I streamed 2-3 episodes per night. And then, 3-4 episodes per night. I usually sleep before midnight. These days, I’ve been sleeping at 1 AM. I’m almost finished with one drama, and already planning which drama to watch next. Oh, and I’m kinda watching two dramas together. My motivation to go home after work is to watch Korean dramas!

YES! I saved the day!

And then, suddenly... one fine day...

“Dear,” my hubby sighed again, “I think you’re over-using the bandwidth. At the rate you’re going, I think we’ll be out of bandwidth before the end of the month”.

(@_@)'''

But, I thought I saved the day?!?!?!

Ok ok, I get it. MODERATION. Nowadays, I do watch my beloved Korean dramas. But with moderation. Hope this discipline lasts (n_n)/

...

HOWEVER, for those who are interested in watching dramas / movies... Cantonese, Japanese or Korean, head to the link here and feast yourself! They have a good and big selections of dramas / movies.


http://www.mysoju.com



My Girl - I know, it's kinda old and 8TV aired it about 1-2 years ago. But I missed it. All thanks to my wonderful workaholic personality (and my work that feeds my workaholicsm). Love the storyline. Love the characters. Love them all!


Boys Over Flowers - Korean version of the Japanese manga "Hana Yori Dango". A LOT better than the Taiwanese version "Meteor Garden". Cuter boys and girls. Though I don't really like those scenes in the drama where the characters just stared at each other/play around/having fun/looking sad/thinking/etc., with some catchy/sad/romantic background music, for a very very very looooong time. Fast forward!

Happy Father's Day (Aussie Version)

Today, in Australia, is Father's Day.

HAPPIE FATHER'S DAY !!

And BIGGEST HAPPIE FATHER'S DAY to the Father of all fathers, King of all kings and Lord of all lords.




He Knows My Name (I Have A Maker)
by Paul Baloche

Verse 1:
I have a Maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in his hands

Verse 2:
I have a Father
He calls me His own
He'll never leave me
No matter where I go

Chorus:
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call

Interesting Experience in Melb: A Not So Ang-Mo Life

All my life, I have not visited any countries except for Malaysia (home-country), Singapore (how modern Malaysia would look like in Lego world) and Thailand (somewhat like a non-Malay/Chinese/Indian-speaking Malaysia).

Basically, I have never gone out of Malaysia, or her lovely influences.

Melbourne, Australia...

When hubby told me that we're going there, I pictured us staying in a foreign land filled with western influences and surrounded by fair-skins, blond hairs and blue eyes. I pictured an ang-mo life in Melbourne...

It's been 2-3 months now since we first arrived. And to my surprise, life here is not as ang-mo as I thought.

I pictured myself eating corn flakes, milk, sunny-side-up eggs for breakfasts.
I drink Milo for breakfast. The Milo here is A LOT tastier!! More chocolatie and not so sweet!! And yes, I can finished up a 1.25 kg Milo in 3 weeks! Ok ok, I'm denying the fact. I actaully finished it in 2 weeks.

I pictured myself eating sandwiches and pasta for lunches.
People here seldom go out for lunches. Usually, some would pack their own lunches. And some would just eat whatever they can find in the pantry. My office pantry has frozen expired bread (yes, FROZEN & EXPIRED since July), peanut butter and fruits. So, they'll make peanut-butter-banana-sandwiches (@_@)... I usually cook more the night before and pack some for my lunch the next day. It's usually chinese food - rice, stir-fry vege and meat.

I pictured myself preparing whole chicken to be roasted for dinner.
Well, this is kinda true. My kitchen is equipped with an oven. And I just looooove experimenting new dishes with it (n_n)/ I've tried making roast chicken, baked fish, baked potatoes + pumpkins + vege, etc etc etc, and the latest, TANDOORI chicken!

I pictured myself surrounded by blond-hairs and blue-eyes.
There's soooooooo many Indians & Asians around. Sometimes, I don't think I'm in Australia.

I pictured myself to be shorter than average girls.
*ahem* I am taller than I thought :P Ya man, I'm proud of my height.

I pictured a world with less shopping malls and less people in the malls
Till I found Chadstone and Southland. Super big, mega-mall. Packed with billiooooons of people. OK, billions is a bit exaggerating. But there's so much people!

I pictured myself having a hard time finding Asian food and ingredients
In the area where I'm living, there's about 2-3 Thai restaurants, 1 Malaysian restaurant, 4-5 Korean/Japanese, and somewhat a few more Asian restaurants... and then there's 3-4 Asian grocery shops (opened by Chinese and Koreans), 1 Indian grocery shop, and 2-3 Asian mini-markets. If you're looking for authentic Asian stuff (like, the classic blue-red china plastic bag, paper tang lung, penyapu lidi, bright pink laundary basin with a classic flower print at the bottom, etc.), you can find them here.

Oh ya... speaking of Asian grocery items, I took some pictures of some interesting items I found :)


Is mooncake festival coming???


Lotsa lotsa mooncakes in so many flavours.


I found A1 Bah-Kut-Teh!


Lotsa Asian sauces and spices. Lotsa Lee Kum Kee stuff too...


Traditional, classic penyapu :)



I wished I took more photos. But people in the shop were looking at me as though I just came out of prison. Haha...