Monday, December 31, 2007

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! HAPPY 2008!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
woohoo~!!! is already 1st Jan 2008 in Aussie now.

1 year ago on tis date, i was in Spore. haha.. during then, i was abt to take a rest, Meidai called and asked me out for a drink. so there i was, juz arrived into Spore, went to meet Meidai, Ting Hui, Wee Hong and Wee Hong's cousin for a drink and chit chatted till 5am in the morning. 1 year later, today.. i spent my new year eve's countdown at home. weather had been rather bad tis few days with strong wind and heavy rain. go out oso can be quite troublesome and it will be crowded everywhere. so i decided to stay home and cook myself a yummilicious dinner and countdown with the fireworks LIVE on TV. heehee...

the fireworks display at Sydney Harbour was really magnificent. the whole area was lighted up and with the music, the atmosphere was extremely high. haha... i bet the pple presence muz had a lot of fun. i guess shld be same for the countdown party in Brisbane as i could hear the sound of the fireworks from my house here. heehee... i am old liao lah... all these squeezy and crowded countdown parties r not suitable for me liao. hahaha... i chose to cook myself a nice dinner and enjoy the peacefulness at home. heehee... something different... but with my neighbours' loud music, my peacefulness was rather limited.... OH ya... plus the strong wind blowing outside, tis NEW YEAR is not as quiet as i tot it will be. haha... anyway, let me intro my dishes for the celebration nite...

Dish 1: Sambal Prawns with Vermicelli..
yum! yum! i had been wanting to eat prawns for a while. heehee.. but i tink i over estimate myself by adding too much sambal chilli. now my stomach has the after effect from the chilli. feeling kinda weird. with some hot drinks shld be better ah. :D

Dish 2: Beef Sausage (oregano & thyme) with Asparagus, Carrots and Potatoes covered with Cheese & Mushroom Sauce
suppose to be salmon but the salmon is too exp, i dun bear to buy ah. so use the cheaper ingredient of beef sausages. heehee...

Sarsaparilla..
Phil said it taste like root beer. yep! it does but juz less sweet as compared to root beer.


overall, i was satisfied with my dinner! but i tink is really time for me to hit for the gym and swimming pool diligently liao. cannot make it ah.. keep eating! hahaha... ok folks! tat's all for now. head back to studies now. yeahz.. studies on new yr, if not i can't get my essay done before end of tis week ah. haiz... slow ah...

^New Year Resolutions for Year 2008^

sidenote: ***to all tat received my Xmas, very SORRY if there r any spelling errors or mistakes. i think i was too tired when i wrote all the cards, hence there r some mistakes here and there. pardon me ah! :D***

back to topic...

in abt 10hrs' time, we will all b welcoming the New Year of 2008.. no matter where u r, which time zone u r at, u will be welcoming the same New Year. for the 1st time, i am not spending my New Year in Spore cos i am here in Brisbane. :D hence, i will welcome 2008 2 hrs earlier than most of u in Spore. nevertheless, is still a moment to look forward to with the brand new year bringing brand new hopes... before i look forward into 2008, let me do some recap for this eventful year of 2007:

Jan 2007: i turned 23 years old. a bday celebration with my family.. something which i had been missing out on for so many years.. & on my very own bday, my dearest brother asked me to report for my part time job at his office! wat a great pressie... whahaha...

Feb 2007: i returned to Brisbane to finish up my last semester of studies with great anticipation.

Apr 2007: i made a decision to stay on for 1 more year to finish up the Honours studies.

Jun - Jul 2007: my 1st time to New Zealand, my 1st time experiencing snow, my 1st Bungy Jump experience, my 1st Skydiving experience, my 1st White Water Rafting experience, my 1st Ice Glacier Hiking experience, my 1st Skiing experience...

Jul 2007: the moment i long yearned for.. My Convocation.. moment of glory shared with my beloved family and frens...

Jul 2007: start of my Honours year... another round of challenge to embrace and endure...

Nov 2007: Perth trip.. conquering the 4th city in Australia.. listed cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmania, Perth.. more to go till i graduate..

Dec 2007: Miss Jasmin Neo, my buddy from Spore came over to Brisbane for a 2 weeks holidays. enjoyable 2 weeks with her around as it had been a long while since i last spent great moments with her.

Dec 2007: my 2nd Xmas spent in Australia & my 1st New Year spent in Australia.

for the many of "1st time" i did during my NZ trip, many pple are calling me "Dare Devil". i am very glad tat i did not chicken out in any of these "1st time" as these r definitely experiences i would like keep and remember for life. for me, 2007 is an eventful and meaningful year as i not only completed many of my "1st time", i oso completed the most important task for my 2 years of Australia overseas studies life. heehee... few days back, i flipped thru some diary i wrote abt 4 years ago. there was a page on "my dreams". back then, my dreams was to b able to go overseas to study as i would like to lead an independent life. 4 yrs down the road, my dreams came true. i did it! woohoo~!!! & still going on strong for the last year, last sem... with tis, i would like to list down my New Year Resolutions for year 2008...

- for my studies: i wan to graduate with a good Honours...

- for my career: i wan to work in my desired industry...

- for myself: i wan to be myself in my very own way...

tat's all for the resolutions...

hereby wishing everyone a very HAPPY NEW YEAR and tat may everyone be happy and healthy always..

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Summer Graduation...

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

haha.. a bit late in posting this entry but nonetheless i juz would like to extend my warmest wishes and congrats to my 2 frens who graduated in this summer, Mr Isaac Yang & Miss Fiona Tan! for all the hardwork thru out the years, a round a applause for both!!! & all the very best for your future endeavours....

here r some photos taken on both of their graduation days...


5th Dec - Isaac's Convocation Day


Isaac with the 2 bouquets of flowers... haha... 1st time see him hold on to flowers... :D


Me, Fiona & Philip with the newly graduate, Isaac!

wat is he doing ah? is tis how he usually behave when he is busy mugging at his fav spot in uni, Social Sciences & Humanities (SSH) library? haha... really 埋头苦读。。。

here is where we submit assignments and the slips of coloured papers are the front cover to attach to our assignments for submission.. the blue cover is Economics assignments.. so as a newly graduate of the Bachelor of Economics, Mr Yang is taking the "pleasure" to tear off the cover page, signifying the connection with these assignment cover sheets is totally CUT OFF! haha...


14 Dec - Fiona's Convocation


Newly Masters' Graduate, Fiona Tan @ her faculty, Human Movement Studies...

Jasmin (haha.. got pulled in by me to attend a UQ graduation ceremony while on holidays in Brisbane), Me & Philip with Fiona after her grad ceremony...

the MTV shot with an "extra" at the background.. WAIT! i dun refer to the stranger walking behind.. i am referring to the lady wearing tat graduation gown... haha... cos i am trying to take a photo for the main lead, Philip! heehee... :D

Fiona & I @ UQ Lake.. lucky tat the fountain is on... make the background seems even nicer...

where is the graduate leh??? heehee... camerawoman la! though is her graduation, she cannot be the only one appearing in all photos, rite? so we got her to take photos for us at every spot she took her photos at. heehee...

y is Fiona hitting Phil with her scroll? mmm... violent sia... see how Phil is screaming for help with his mouth wide open!!! *ARGH~!!!*

woooo... is revenge time for Phil.. hitting Fiona back with the scroll... see Fiona's half dying look... *HELP! *HELP!

Fiona acting hardworking ah... lying on the floor in library to study ah... hahaha...

yeahz... tat was the end of the 2 graduation ceremony. next graduation tat i will be attending will be my own graduation in July 2008. certainly looking forward to it!!!


ohhh... before i go, i shall introduce one of my favourite flowers... Iris Flowers... heehee... purple iris flowers, very lovely...

there r "7 stalks" of iris flowers here... 6 in tat bouquet and 1 holding all of them... heehee...


lovely flowers.. one more shot la... :D


back to studies now... enough of updates for the day...

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS to ALL!!! May all your wishes come TRUE and have a BLESSED new year ahead...

heehee... this year is my 2nd year celebrating xmas in Brisbane. difference from last year celebration: different location as i am in my NEW house, different company as my ex housemates had gone back to home country, different type of food as last year was chinese style while tis year is more westernise. HOWEVER overall, i had FUN! i was feeling very excited when i woke up in the morning. in the afternoon, when i went to buy stuff with Phil, i was feeling happy and excited until Phil complained that I "自high"... hahaha... festive season mah.. festive mood... Photos for the nite...

Gift Exchange... & the 3 gingerbread man..
Xmas Feast... (for tis feast, i was being "forced" to eat 3 items which i usually dun prefer to eat.. all thanks to Mr Philip Boey!)

Roast Lamb... Phil's cooking wor... taste not bad... (1st item tat i dun usually eat)


Oven-baked chicken wings.. my dish!

Fresh Oysters from Coles... Phil's idea... (2nd item which i nv eaten before!)

Choc Cherry Mud Log Cake... is very chocolate.. RICH! my choice of cake as my preference of Tiramisu is nOt available...

Mashed Potato with Brown Onions & Mushroom gravy...

Felicia's grandaunt secret recipe of Macaroni Salad.. yummilicious.. i like it alot...

Phil's salad... lettuce, apple and cucumber with mayo..

Phil baked Gingerbread Man!!! hahaha... (3rd item, GINGER! tat i dun like to eat). but these gingerbread man not very "ginger" taste.. so is still okay overall. heehee...

let the power combine... here r all the yummy food we had for Xmas Feast.. 3 pple only but the amt of food enough for abt 7 to 8 pple ah! hahaha...

Felicia, Philip & I...

Philip enjoying his oyster... everytime oysters.. from Fishy guy, he shld be call Oystery guy ah! hahaha..

Felicia & Santa Claus... she is holding on to the Muscat Wine...

Me & Santa Claus... crackers crack!
our party hat! heehee...

Me & Philip with our party hat!!

Felicia & Philip..

after Felicia and Philip went off after our gift exchange at abt 12am, i went back to my room to wait for Spore's timing, 12am to open another xmas pressie with my Spice Buddies via Skype video conversation... meanwhile, i decided to have some photo taking session... heehee...
self potrait again... i am an expert in taking photo myself ah!

the brightly lit up Santa Claus shining on my balcony glass panel..

xmas gift exchange.. i got a pair of candles... nicely wrapped up with reindeers..

at abt 10plus (spore timing), my 4 Spice buddies and Huilin's bf, Ziqi suddenly appeared in front of my screen! hahaha... we arranged to meet up via Skype video conversation for xmas gift exchange. so there we r.. initially i had some problem speaking to them via the mic. i can hear them clearly and listen to them tok abt me behind my back.. they very mean la... bully me! gang up and bully me! hahaha... actually i very excited ah. when i heard their voices over the speaker, i can't believe my ears. when i saw their faces on my screen, i was really thrilled! so so long nv see them or hear their voices.. mayb not Jas since i last saw her abt 2 weeks ago. but still i miss all of them so much... yeahz! had abt 2 hrs chat with them till we exchange pressie ah. ahha... i got my pressie here so juz open only. it was a few pair of earrings from Junwei. thank u very much, boy! :D we laughed and joked and it was really funny lor. cos they have 5 pple there and i am alone here. aiyoooo... how to counter 5 mouths speaking together sia? hahaha... nevertheless, i still love such "gathering" with them. really miss hanging out with them...

see how i captured their faces...

before theY staRt their game of Taboo, i snapped a shot of them... can u guys see all their faces?? heehee...

these pieces of Starbucks tissues carried alot of meaning and encouragement. in each of them contain words of encouragement and advices from all 4 of my Spice Buddies. they specially wrote for me and asked Jas to bring over to help me tide over the current situation i am facing. seriously and frankly speaking, i THANK GOD for being so so kind to me. kind enough to give me 4 precious angels and make them my best Spice buddies. facing them, i have no doubts, no questions, no worries. facing them, i noe where i can be at, i noe where i can rely on, i noe who i can turn to. facing them, i noe no matter how bad situation is, how silly i can be, they juz wun turn against me. to me, they r more than frens. they are family, they r my brother and sisters... getting emo here again.. haha.. okok.. last words.. "THANK U, buddies.. sorry to make u guys worry for me.. i really love and miss u guys so so much..." *huggies*

okok... end of 2007 Xmas... in abt 5 days time, new year, 2008 coming! wat r my new year resolution leh? mmm...

Day 8 - Perth City Tour & Departure...

Day 8 - Perth City Tour & Departure...

time to end my tour in Perth... great experience with the travelling around... fun moments when catching up with frens, esp old time fren whom i knew for abt 10years. hahaha... last day after touring around city, i headed to Chien Yuan's house for lunch and a tour around his uni, Murdoch Uni...

YHA in Perth City. clean and tidy environment. kind of good location as it is only abt 5mins walk away from train station and abt 10mins walk away from city centre.

street @ London Court, high class shopping area..

candy making in progress... HUGE & long candy waiting to be chopped into smaller pieces...

blooming Jacaranda Flowers along my way to Kings Park..

Me @ Kings Park...
view of Swan River...

Perth city skyline... view from top of Kings Park, the famous relaxing ground of the locals and tourists...

the highway... cars and more cars..

elevated tree top walk @ kings park...

view @ the tree top walk...


a very different type of tree top walk... tis is much more stable and steady..



Swan Belt Tower from the side...

across the road, here is a front view of the belt tower...

fountain @ the back of the tower... the back view...

famous Apple Strudel shop in Perth...

Me & Chien Yuan.. after dinner @ Sizzler, before he sent me to airport. hahaha... had a good time catching up with tis "polar bear". had not seen him for so long... when i go back to spore, muz ask him out and meet up with the rest too! haha... can u imagine, after knowing for 10 years, we can still rem all the funny things tat happened in the past. the funniest thing which i will rem is how he actually ate a pack of instant noodles in front of 3 (me, shiying and junwei) poor people who r almost dying of hunger. and worst still ah... asked 3 of us to share ONE pack of instant noodles! hahaha...


Me & Chien Yuan's housemates, frens... take note of girl in white... special relationship with Chien Yuan.. haha... he is so gonna scold me for making special note on her ah... :D


funny post before i go to airport! nice and frenly pple...

overnight plane from Perth to Brisbane... when i was abt to reach Brisbane, is dawn already. so i was in time to catch the sunrise on board the plane.. here r the shots i took... sunrise, my fav.. cos it signify the beginning of a BRIGHT and HAPPY day.. the start of a brand new day of hopes, miracles and happiness...

@ abt 4.32am, the sky start to brighten...

@ 4.44am, the sunray start to outline the horizon...

@ 4.48am, the sun ray was getting stronger...

@4.50am, half the "egg yolk" started to peek out from the horizon..

@ 4.53am, the start of a BRAND new day... GOOD MORNING Sunshine!!
heehee... see tis TAN line on my wrist.. created after the day of cycling and days of walking around under the HOT sun... while i was in Perth, Perth's temperature marked a high point of 33 to 36 degrees. once i got back to Brisbane, it dropped to 21 degrees! argh~!!! not only did i had a TAN line, i bcame more TAN overall ah... haha.. but i like ah... :D
okok.. end of my 1 week tour in Perth... one more Aussie city visited. look forward to my next trip... which is... i oso dunno yet! heehee...