Shopping list

This wk appears to be flying by for me. It's only 2 days b4 i'm on a boeing 777 on my way to my home of origin, Singapore. I actually cant wait. Even though my workload hasnt been exactly huge, i'm hanging out for a break. A break from work, a break from perth, a break from everything i know. Wierd how i feel like that......

One of my major goals when i get to s'pore is to EAT. One thing i miss about that place is the glorious food. The variety and authenticity of the dishes, and not to mention the price! :) I am salivating as i write this..... Apart from that, i have an ever-growing shopping list, not mine mind you, but other ppl's. The only thing i want for myself is a compact flash memory card for my digi camera.

Amongst the many items i have to get for other ppl include: food, food, food, food, computer games, DVDs, electric chopper, mascara, butt pump. Yes, u read correctly, a butt pump. A member of my extended family (who shall remain nameless) has requested i get a butt pump used for constipation, that u can ONLY get in s'pore. What kind of crap (pardon the pun) is that!? And more importantly, how will i look going to the shop asking for a butt pump that clears blocked anal passages?? Especially if the checkout chick is some hottie, (since all singapore girls are hotties right jess?;) what kinda way is that to impress them huh? Sigh.

Interesting statistic

I was advised of the most amazing stat i've heard in a long time. Apparantly the annual youth suicide rate in Australia is much higher than the entire continent of Africa. I cant remember the exact number, but nonetheless i found that quite suprising.....

A so-called 1st world country of 20 million ppl have more of their youth wanting to end their lives than a third world continent of over 200 million ppl?? Africa's a place where hunger, war, AIDS and suffering are most prominent in many young and old africans' lives, yet the youth of Australia have more troubles than those to warrant killing themselves?

I'm not totally biased in my opinions. I admit comparing the youth of Australia and Africa is much like comparing apples & oranges. Relativity has got to have some part in this, the causes of youth suicide in our society could be considered more complex, as there are more factors available to instigate suicide. On the other hand, Africa would have a narrower spectrum of factors to promote a horrendous such as suicide. I guess trying to find food for tonite's family meal of 12 while starving would get your mind off contemplating suicide just coz u think noone loves you.......

I know i sound a bit cynicial about this topic, but in reality i'm not. It's just that this is such a complex issue, it would ridiculous to fit it in a single post. There are ppl close to me that have had to deal with such an issue, and i know 1st hand how serious it can be.

shopping around

I was having an interesting conversation with a friend the other day, and as most of these kind of conversations go, we ended up talking about our ideal partners. ie. what do u look for in a partner? etc. etc.

That's when i realised that i actually dont know what i am looking for in an ideal partner. As i sat there trying to formulate a list of qualities i would like of my ideal partner, i found myself struggling to list what i wanted! That really got me thinking, how am i supposed to find something i dont even know?

I'm the type of guy that when i go shopping, i know what i want, i go there, get it, get out. So in the quest for the ultimate item, where can i go get something when i dont even know what i want?? Should I even have a list & know what i want or should i believe in fate? Or maybe I fall into THIS category....

I think i'm happy with the 2nd last part, the Big guy has a plan carved out for us, we just gotta have the patience to wait for Him to deliver our plan to us.

Day Blog vs. Nite Blog

I wish i could blog earlier in the day, rather than middle of the night sessions. Coz by now, i've forgotten half the things i wanted to say! There's something i really wanted to say today, but i cant remember.

I can say that i got a pretty ordinary haircut today, which i'm not too proud of. It wierd coz the person i goto is normally really good with me. But then again, i did ask for more to be done than usual, so maybe its my fault for confusing her. Praise hair product.... :)

Also managed to finish work early tonite, so was able to get home in time to watch Inside Idol. (cannot believe i just said that) Something else that was of interest on TV was a documentary on modern fighter planes. Its made me realise just how reliant on computers we are! Apparantly the most modern, dynamic, manouvreable, super jet would not even get off the ground if not for computers.

What do they do? Well coz the plane is designed NOT for flight, the computers calculates all the adjustments to rudder, flaps, etc needed every second in order to keep the plane in the air. If not, the pilot would have an impossible time flying it, constantly having to tweak hundreds of controls all the time. It makes me wonder if computers are the greatest invention of the 20th century.........

Updates

From talking to ppl and reading their blogs, it appears that most ppl are rather busy. Which is fair enough i guess, as this time of the yr tends to be more full on, with exams, tax returns and what not that needs to be done.

But for some reason, i dont have that much to do. Its funny coz most ppl i talk to are either tired or busy or frustrated, etc. Things seem to be real cruisy, which is the way i like it! :) I am only working half days, which probably helps the situation, but i am still pulling up sore at the end of work. Hence, a constant reminder that i'm no where near fully fit yet.

I was further reminded of this when i went for a swim today, went to push myself, and i am now paying for it. Now i am extra sore..... :(

I guess for those who are interested in what i'm up to; I've been asked to step up in a number of leadership/positions of reponsibility lately. They've all come at about the same time, which made me think if i had something on my forehead saying "pick me!" Our youth pastor at church asked if i would like to be part of the leadership team for the youth. Also, i've been nominated on the CMDFA committee. I must admit i was hesitant in accepting either position in the beginning, but after a lot of prayer about this, i accepted. I believe i am ready for more challanges. :P

I'm excited about both opportunities, as it allows me inroads into different aspects of life OTHER than my job. I'm not too fussed about work anymore, to me its just something i do. I actually feel more passion for the youth ministry, and have a greater desire to do that than my job.

Nonetheless, i have a feeling that i'm entering a new phase of this short life of mine, and I embrace it.

Please explain....

I initally wanted to talk about this yesterday, but Chris Judd winning the brownlow superseeded that. While the Brownlow was on, Enough Rope had Andrew Denton pitted against the queen of wit (or should it be twit) Pauline Hanson, in what i thought to be a pretty good and fair interview.

I missed the start of the interview, but managed to catch the majority of it. As it progressed, i started to genuinely feel sorry for Pauline, as she is way out of her league. I get the impression that she means well, honestly wants the best for Australia, but hasnt got a clue how the rest of the world works. And the problem is, Australia is part of the world...

If Denton wanted to, he could've definitely annihilated her, but he was fair and righteous, giving her plenty of chances to "explain" and redeem herself. She didnt really take the bait. In my opinion, she allowed herself to be further embarassed by being unable to answer some pretty important questions or by answering "i dont know". Sorry, but if u wanna be a senator, i dont think that's good enough.

I dont think she's a bad person (well i hope not!), but argueably Australia's most famous racist has done herself no favours, and should learn from her mistakes and just stick to what she knows...... fish & chips please.

JUDDERNAUT!!

Following an outstanding season and rewarded with All-Australian selection for the 1st time in his short career, huge congrats goes to Chris Judd of the West Coast Eagles for winning this yr's Brownlow medal!

I'll admit that i had him 2nd on my list to win, (Tredrea was my initial guess) but it was an awesome medal count. Also, i always thought Ben Cousins would be the Eagles' 1st brownlow medalist. But the best thing about it was that there was only ONE winner (not 2 or 3 or 4) and the top 5 werent made up of those that were ineligible to win (ie. suspended ppl). And one has to admit that he is DESERVED winner!!

I am absolutely stoked at this win, definitely makes up for not winning the premiership!! I think the Eagles will be a force to be reckon with in the next few yrs, and i'm not just saying this coz i support them..... Look at the facts; 1 Brownlow medalist, 4 Rising star nominations, promising end to 2004 season...... looks ominous to me.

Little inconveniences

This will sound really bad, but i'm sitting on the sofa writing this and i need to check something on my mobile. The problem is, its on a shelf about 3 metres away from me. I cant be bothered putting my computer down, standing up, walking 2.5 metres, reach out and grab my phone, step back, sit again, and set my computer back on my lap.

It's times like these I wish I had FORCE powers. Then like Obi-Wan, i can just reach out and telepathically transport my phone to me. I think that would be the most awesome power to have. Imagine when u r vying for the remote with another member of the household! The jedi mind trick would be handy in nightclubs too...... ;)

While i'm on the subject of superpowers, the only other thing i would really like is xray vision. The only reason why i say this is coz today at work, i could've really done with it. I would've been able to finish work a lot faster, rather than taking an xray, and having to wait for it to get developed, b4 i can even START working on the person!

Sigh, such are life's little inconveniences. :p

Cant think of a title.

I dont want to turn this into an Australian idol forum, but how forgettable was the so called "unforgettable" edition? It was just a glorified, over-hyped, karaoke tournament. Dont these ppl realise that we are laughing AT you, not with you??

I dont think i've felt as exhausted as i did today in a long, long time. I went for a swim today, the 2nd time since b4 my operation, and came back totally pooped. I didnt really go out hard, not that i ever do, but i did keep a steady pace, going for slow non-stop laps, rather than multiple short burst of laps. My whole body aches now, but it kinda feels good, like when u know u've done some work. Its as if the pain u feel after a workout or sport is to be worn like a badge of honor.

Amongst my exhaustion, i managed to watch the worst channel on tv imaginable. I've always thought the shopping channel pretty poor, but i managed to catch a glimpse of Fashion TV. Its like watching a car crash; u wanna look away but just cant! Its got poor-arse music playin to models prancing down catwalks, with poor picture quality and totally random scenes. And dont get me started on some of the stuff they were wearing......

Beauty a curse?

I've realised how reliant i am on modern tech, when our home phone line ceased to work for the past 3 days. Unable to log onto the net or even make phone calls proved to be rather frustrating, not to mention expensive........ cant wait for my mobile bill this mth.

Tonight's Australian Idol saw the apparant "pretty boy" of the comp kicked out. Surely being a good looking fella would have its perks; benefits that go without saying. But I could not believe the amount of patronizing Dan recieved about his looks! Yeah sure he's a good looking bloke and I would love to be like him :P, but the treatment he recieved was similar to say, a "fat kid" being teased. Substitute the word fat/ugly/chubby for hunk/hot/sexy, and that's what Dan got.

"That cant be too bad surely!?" Well, to some maybe, but i felt the level of taunts were irritatingly degrading, almost insulting. In today's society its politically incorrect to tease someone about their weight, but fine to patronize someone about their good looks.

I dont know if what i've written has come across the right way, but basically its sux when one form of patronizing behaviour is OK, while others are not. Double standards.

Oops....

Sunday day was recovery for me. Didnt get much sleep the 2 nights b4, so i ended up laying on the sofa, half watching TV & dozing off. Later that evening, as i prepared to head out, i found myself humming an apparantly nameless tune in the bathroom, as u do right?

But i soon realised it was not so nameless, but the legendary "oops i did it again" by Brittney. A flashback hit me as i realised that in my "dozing" during the day, i was half watching a 2 hr documentary on the life of Brittney Spears on MTV. By some minor miracle, Brittney had entered my mind sub-consciously. Scary. But she's more than welcomed anytime..... :)

What's happening?

I did a bit of travelling around town today, as i didnt start work till the arvo. Basically my day consisted of driving to South Perth to meet a mate for lunch, then to work which finished early so i could beat peak hour traffic home. But then i had a seminar to attend that night, in which i was caught in the peak traffic flow.

What's happening to Perth!? I know i've been out of action, but this is ridiculous! Have ppl forgotten the road rules? On the freeway today, i saw a moped plodding in front of me and an L-plater crawling along! I might be wrong, but the last time i checked, those TWO arent allowed on freeways!!

And how long does peak hour traffic last? I thought by the time i got home and left again, traffic shld be sorted. It normally takes 10 mins to get from my place to the novotel in the city, but this time it took me 30 mins!

And what about the amt of construction going on! All the roads have changed in the city, witches hats everywhere, you'd think we were in some developing country with the amy of work going on around us!

What's happening to my beloved city? Things seem to be spiralling out of control.....

Picture This

I consider myself a very "visual" person. During conversations, in order to understand what the other person is saying, i tend to visualize during the conversation. Or in exams, i picture the page of notes which has the info relevant to answering the exam questions. Basically, in all that i do, i like to have a mental picture of whatever i am doing.

Take for example radio personalities. In the car, at work or at home, u hear their voices all the time, but have u ever stopped and wondered what they look like? I know when i 1st saw a pic of Adam and Wil, they were totally not what i expected.

Whilst out tonight, i met the person who reads the news on a popular radio station in the mornings, and it wasnt until she told me and i listened carefully to her while she talked i realised its the same person!! Nice girl & attractive too. ;) Now i have a face to put to the voice on the radio in the morning!! (yay) I guess in the end, they're just normal ppl like me......

Blurr

I think its the time of the yr when life sorta hits a bit of a lull. Well, that's what i get from reading other's blogs. Nothing much seems to be happening. And its the same with me. Apart from Spring arriving, and me sneezing, there's not much to report.

There is one dilemma. Got invited to an 18th b'day. I wld love to go coz the b'day girl is cool, but c'mon, is it really a good idea? I already get annoyed by obnoxious teenagers with attitude in shopping centres, will i be able to handle a party load of them??

My memory of 18th's were just an excuse to write yourself off, where those who werent already over-age used it as an opportunity to be able to get alcohol. I'm guessing conversations wont be common as any opened mouths would be used to gulping down goon or Real McCoy (and boy is that nasty) Nonetheless, Happy B'day Andrea!! :)

I went to a 21st last wk and thought that was bad enough. Dont get me wrong, the party was fine, its just me! Somehow i guess reflecting back, the elaborate celebration of such occasions seems so petty, there's so much more to life and so much more WILL happen. At the time we believe that such occasions will be events you will 'treasure forever', but are more likely become blurred moments of the past....

Bloody litigation

There are some aspects of today's society i really hate. One of them is litigation. I hate how some shmucks are out there, waiting to pounce on someone else's mistake. Now its reached a stage where if they arent "happy" with the final result, they can sue u for not telling them that i may not be able to read their minds as to what THEY think is a good result.

I got an almighty shock when in the mail today i recieved a letter with all the official letterheads and the title "complaint re: ........." My heart sank when i started to think i had actually offended someone enough for them to sue me. I have been well prepared in uni for the high chances of getting sued at least a few times in my career, but u never think it'll actually happen to YOU!

Lesson 1: Dont judge a letter by its letterhead and title; read the letter first. Upon doing so, i realised i wasnt the one getting sued, it was more they were asking for info regarding someone who wants to sue someone ELSE. Phew!

Even though i was relieved it wasnt me, i am still annoyed at having to be dragged into this. The last thing i want to do is testify against someone i've never even met! And in the medical world, opinions are so varied, and just coz u get one u dont LIKE, doesnt mean u go sue them!! Whatever the case, i'll be trying my hardest NOT to get involved in this, what i believe to be one of modern society's biggest curses.

Back to the grind

I've nearly finished my 1st wk back at work. Even though i'm only doing a 3 day wk, i feel like i've had a full-on wk. Its amazing how tired i feel after half a day at work, but i'm putting it down to my 2+ mth layoff, and the fact i'm not been used to using my brain or anything else associated with work. I'm exhausted.

I've noticed this wk that i've had less to say, and all probably less interesting too. I also feel less obliged to blog than b4. Is work really draining my imaginative capacity and leaving me incapable to blog? Am I so out of form that i'm a total vegetable once i get home?

The truth is that yes, coz i'm back at work, i'm not 'out there' to have things to blog about, but at the same time, work does have its moments. Unfortunately i cant share this in this space, as all info is private and confidential, and i'd probably get my pants sued off if i mentioned anything here and they find out.

But here's one thought i managed to squeeze from my depleted brain..... I really couldnt give a stuff about the upcoming federal election. If someone like Jodie Henry or Gian Rooney were running for office (or even thorpey :), then maybe i may bat an eyelid.