Annual Review

Tis the time of the year again, well the START of a new year, so as with everyone else, it would be most appropriate to perform our annual review of 2005. Heck, if big corporations can do it, why cant I??

I know it's a big call, but 2005 has been the BEST year in my memory. I guess there has to be a "best" somewhere, and mine so happens to be very recent as compared to a long time ago. What would culminate 2005 to be the best yr in my very poor memory? Well I could mention a few....

- starting 2005 with backpacking around europe for the 1st 3mths of the year.

- built my 1st BIG snowman ever
- mission trip to madagascar and mauritius
- The forging of new friendships and deepening of existing friendships
- All the weddings!! Congrats Steve & Nicola, MayChin & Rob, Ron & Sara, Ivan & Angel.....

- The terrific new job i so badly needed. Thank God for saving me!
- The balance struck between work and play, I'm loving my roster!!- Full recovery from my back surgery

- And to top it all off, a terrific NYE spent down south, with me sleeping under the grandest night sky, bursting with more stars than I have EVER seen in my life.

I have been so blessed this year, and i thank EVERYONE and everything for being a part of it. And God wililng, may the good times rock on!!

Tis the Festive Season

I am officially on holidays as of NOW! After having a marathon session at work, (and an equally marathon of a phone conversation, to which i found out ppl still read this blog...) I can now rest easy and look forward to days of pleasure. But looking at my diary, i dont have a lot of time to rest easy for some reason! What kind of holiday is this!? But its good busy, and the sort of busy that is in preparation to the ultimate relaxation period.

But this is indeed the most festive season i've had in awhile........

1) Friday, catching the ferry to Rotto, where our work xmas party is at. A great day of sun (we hope!) and fun!
2) Saturday, got dinner with the impact leadership crew!
3) Sunday, well, it's sunday.
4) Monday; pick my couz up from the airport (7am in the bloody morning!) and do food shopping for the week ahead.
5) the REST of the week; DUNSBOROUGH!

Yes, next week, i've got the week in Dunsborough, and opportunity to really kick back and relax. I've got so many good memories of that place, even though i havent been there in 6 yrs. We've got an awesome crew heading down there, and found a sweet house to shack up in.

I can picture this time of great fellowship and a truly revitalising time away. Plenty of eating and drinking will be done, true to the festive spirit.

Let the festivities BEGIN!

Sad news.

I know whenever something major on the news occurs, a lot of people blog about the same issue. I'm sorry to say that i will be doing no different, but this is a topic that strikes close to my heart. Sometimes i think its better not to watch all the news reports about the racist riots in sydney, and just turn a blind eye.

But would it be better to ignore it and believe that the "majority" arent like that and that majority rules? I totally agree that racists in Australia exist, but they are the minority. I have not experienced racism in a long time, not since i was in school. But what really gets to me is how the politicians are trying to "sweep this under the carpet" and blame it on alcohol abuse.

I watched an interview with the lord mayor of Cronulla, and all he kept saying was "too much alcohol" and "lets move forward from this". Yes we have to move forward, but u cant just IGNORE what has just happened!!!!!!!!!! Prime Minister Howard is in denial if he thinks there is no racism involved. Yes it's a law and order problem, it's bloody racial villification, so it IS against the law! But for fuck's sake, can he not see it for what it is!?

Politicians piss me off for ONE reason. Their need to weasel their way around questions or issues, until they can get their lackeys to write them a proper statement. It's great that Howard doesnt condone what has just happened, but dont think that letting these ppl just "cool off" and sober up will cure the situation. The underlying problem is still there. Alcohol and a minority of shitstirrers just magnified it. These so called "leaders" are promoting the act of sweeping it under the carpet and hope no one noticed.

I'm so glad that this has made international news, and i really hope this does damage australia's reputation. Howard needs to realise that he needs to fix his own backyard up before he plays with the big boys in Asia. He wants australia to be part of asia, but if it gives off the impression that they're not wanted, what hope has he got?? Also, this might be the spur for the community of Australia to bind together and really fight against this wrongful reputation. Australia is a beautiful country with great ppl of all cultural backgrounds. But there are too many fence sitters led by a person lacking testicles suffering from shortman syndrome.

Personally, i feel the police have done the best they could and good on them. I just hope the governments dont let them down and follow this up and finish it off. Sometimes i think the best punishment would be humilation rather than jail. Why not publish EVERY one of their faces in every newspaper and news show to reveal these cowards for who they are. There's so much video footage of the riots, why not freeze frame as many ppl as u can, identify them and publish their name and picture in the "riot roll call of shame"?

May Justice prevail.

Blessed union

It takes a bit for me to be inspired to blog nowadays. And the weekend has been inspiration enough. I've had the honor to witness the union of a true mate with his partner for life.

It seems as though I've had weddings coming out of my ears of late, but this one i truly have been looking forward to for a long time. (not as long as the groom has, of course!) It was a day of great celebration, and i havent met a more relaxed groom ever! The day started off with a bit of tenpin bowling, then the wedding ceremony, all the way to the reception! Whatever the case, to be able to go tenpin bowling on the day of your wedding, that's truly stress free!

As usual, the bride steals the show, but that's ok. The whole day seemed to pass by smoothly, even the weather held up for us. But to top it off, just when you thought it was safe to hit the road and go off home, Seabs had to get his car bogged. So we hung around for what seemed like awhile trying to un-bog the mighty ute. In the end, all methods failed bar the most crude one.... Just lift the bloody car, we've got enough blokes here! So all in all, a memorable day and night. :)



But all i really have to say is, "Ron and Sara, congrats on this great union, and my best wishes and prayers are always with yous for the rest of your lives." :)

What the bucks!?

For those still interested...........

Yes, i'm still alive. Not only that, but also kickin....... i've found a new lease on life that has allowed me to keep kickin. It's amazing the difference it makes when you have a job and workplace you actually WANT to be there for. Where you wake up in the morning and WANT to goto work and do GOOD work too. Needless to say, my new job is going great, i'm enjoying it thoroughly and hope it will continue to be as great as it is now.

Another thing that has been happening lately are weddings. They seem to be popping up EVERYWHERE. I just went to one last week, got one next week, and another one in the 1st week of jan. Not to mention the ones friends have to goto as well. People are getting hitched all over the place. And the timing aint so great, i mean, some ppl have xmas to budget for as well!!

And with weddings, buck's nights preceeds them. Well in my case, buck's day. It all started well with a barbie with the fellas and a few drinks shared, until the fun and games started. I've never been to a buck's do quite like this one. And to put it bluntly, if i had to go thru this, i'd rather not get married. That's how bad it was. What is the reason for a buck's night anyway!!?? It's bloody mindless and useless if u ask me.

The poor groom was basically humilliated and degraded in a public place in acts i consider barbaric. I dont see the fun in it or the point of it. Cracking eggs and smothering used nappies on someone............ WHY? And that wasnt the worst of it. Would a stripper been better? I dont know, but i think both are as bad as each other. The main take home message is, i aint having no buck's nite, that's for sure!

Insomnia

I dont know if i have it. How does one diagnose oneself with this? Would being wide awake in the middle of the night (morning) have anything to do with it?

I dont think i'm a chronic sufferer of insomnia, but man, it would suck if i was. At this moment, i cannot get to sleep, i've been tossing and turning in my bed for the last 2 hrs, unable to fall asleep. Then again, how do u know if u have fallen asleep? I remember those dreams where u dream you're awake, when actually you're not, but asleep, if that makes sense.... ;P

Or am I currently sleepwalking/typing? Now that would be freaky. They say that sleepwalkers appear to be totally normal as they do things, so i could've slept-walk to my computer, turned it on, logged on, and blogged away....... hmmmm..

Maybe it's got something to do with my new job....... It does involve later hours, much like a night shift, only i dont go ALL night. For instance, 2 nite i got home at 10pm. Like a friend of mine suggested, it takes time to wind down after a day's work, and if mine started later and finished later, then its gonna take longer to wind down..... I guess that sounds about right.

Doesnt make me feel any better though....... Zzz.

Longing

The last 3 weeks have been very awkward. I believe it has to do with the transition period that i am going thru at the moment, the switching of workplaces. It has been dead quiet at work, and i have been literally working half days for the past 2 weeks. The less work i have, means less money, but that's not really bothering me. I think what bothers me the most is the apparant waste of time i am faced with each day. And lots of time on one's hand leaves a lot of time to think.........

I feel guilty, sloth-like and lazy, coming home each day at 11am, after working for only a couple of hours. Coz everyone else i know is working, there's noone to hang with, which leaves me able to bask in the lovely spring sun, by MYSELF. It may sound good to some readers out there, but i dont know..............

Nothing makes this worse for me then to think about travel. Just like chocolate or il gelato are some people's weaknesses, mine is travel. I was flicking thru the lonely planet webpage, to the thorntree forum. It's a forum where fellow travellers post FAQ and comments about all the places they are visiting or visited. Just going thru that forum makes my heart yearn ever so much to be out there again.

As i sit here and read everyone's comments, questions or short stories, emotions run high. I laugh at each mistake the traveller is about to make, and i empathise with those that had the same experiences i had. I become suprised with NEW facts that come from places i've visited, which make me wanna know more.

The world is an amazing place. Who could've fathomed the creation of such a melting pot of people, places, cultures, smells, sounds, colors, buildings, food, languages or experiences that leaves the heart and mind longing for more and more..... I guess it's true; noone truly knows your heart's desires more than God himself.


How I long to set foot on foreign soil once more..........

Occurences thus far

I think God is trying to tell me something.............. I should STOP playing basketball. I totally busted my hand last week, and it's taking a very LONG time to heal. I've broken fingers and strained and jarred fingers, but i've never sprained it in such a way before. My whole thumb and forefinger were so swollen, it hurt just to move them. And the next day, it went REAL black..... that was scary.



I had to cancel the afternoon of work, coz i just couldnt do squat. That sucked. But on the up side, i have a bit of news for the few who still frequent this blog......... I've QUIT!

Yes, after yrs of suffering, i've finally managed to find a new place that will further my career, and more importantly, maintain my sanity. This new place is most definitely a step UP for me, and the type of workplace that reflects my personality and professionalism.


Aside from that, the weekend was pretty full on. We had our church camp over the weekend which was a total suprise packet.... it was fabulous. Then on sunday nite was Church Together. For those not knowing what that is, you may have heard it, literally. Supreme Court gardens, thousands of people, LOUD music. Anyone within the vicinity would've heard it, and if u did, i hope u got a chance to pop in and have a look. It was grand..... I was totally taken by the venue and i hope they have it here again next year.......

Inspirational

I have just finished this book that has left me all the more inspired, yet depressed. I got given the travel photography book "One Planet" the other day as a gift, which is totally my thing, and i love it. It's a beautifully laid out book, boasting 242 'inspirational travel photographs' from various photographers and travellers. It is a collection of phenomenal photos that give me ideas and possibilities for my future photo taking.

I've come to realise just how gorgeous our planet earth is, and how vast it is and us so small and insignificant. I've never been the arty kinda guy, but i can appreciate good pics when i see them, and this book shows it all. I can but "try" to achieve the same effect these photos have. The editors claim that these photos were selected to allow the reader to feel that they are partaking in the actions IN the photo, and as bizzare as that sounds, it's does!.......... As i sit here trying to describe what i have seen in this book, i've come to realise that no words can, and that pictures do indeed say more than a thousand words......

But the problem is, upon completing this book, of the 242 photographic prints there, i can safely say that i have been to just about NONE of the places in the book. (Ok, maybe 10) I believed that i've been fortunate enough to travel a fair bit in the past 3 yrs, but after reading this book, my ego's been shot..... I feel there's SO much to see in the world, and i havent even begun to scrape the surface! Why did God have to make this place so big? ;)

So 2 take-home messages from this book:)
(1) Have to travel more and see more of our great planet.
(2) take better photos.

Easier said than done..............

Settling back home

It's definitely been a long time between drinks, and since i've scraped the bottom of the barrel as far as things to procrastinate on, here i am......

It has been a tough period for me, since coming back from Africa. Not so much that i miss the place, i guess its the first time in a LONG time (this whole year in fact) that i have to accept the fact that i'm back home and am not going anywhere else soon. No travel to look forward to. Nothing. Nada.

If i look back to my past 24 months, i've always had a travel destination to look forward to, so all my efforts at work and elsewhere were directed toward those goals. This is the first time in 24 months that i dont have any such goals to strive for.

Plus, this is the first time in a long while that i've actually been home for an extended period of time. Usually, i'm always off on little trips here and there, whether it be for work or leisure. I guess in a nutshell, i'm back into the normality of life........

Well, 2 mths into it, i guess i can say i'm finally settling in. I'm reminded constantly of my real purpose and direction in life, and that i dont need those "travel incentives" to keep me going. Far from it in fact. I've realised and am glad that my difficulties were only a short phase i had to go thru. Now, I'm serving a lot more at church, getting back into sport (now the back's better) and really enjoying my work rest and play.

The only thing i'm looking forward to now is some warmth (bring on summer!) where i hope to get a scooter in the next few weeks to really take advantage of the great Perth summer. Speaking of Perth, we're still voted in the "top 5 most livable cities", but dunno why melbourne is still ahead of us............ You can check out the report here. Now, i've been to vienna (rated 3rd) and geneva (rated 4th), and being TOTALLY and HONESTLY unbiased, Perth is a WAY better.

Perth is definitely my HOME, and i'm glad to be home. :)

Photos!

I've finally posted some photos......... www.flickr.com/photos/missiontrip05

Click on the albums on the left side of the page. I've tried to order them chronologically as much as i could. As always, there's a story to every picture, so if u wanna know about it, you'll just have to ask.

Hope u enjoy!

African return...

My return to Perth has been a memorable one. For the 1st time, the reality of my arrival home didnt hit me until the plane literally hit the tarmac (And the landing was a rather smooth one in comparison to some of the other landings we experienced whilst away).

Never had i felt so physically exhausted, emotionally drained or intellectually zapped after a trip. Normally i feel, well, normal!! But spiritually, I felt totally recharged.......

This trip to africa is one i will treasure for a long time to come, as it was the kind of trip i really needed to improve my spiritual growth. I wouldnt say my faith was wavering, but it was definitely stagnating.

For those wondering, we went to Madagascar to teach the local pastors and church leaders. We basically had to lead an inductive study into 3 books of the bible; the books of Galatians, Ephesians and 1 Timothy. This is something I was not very comfortable with, as I thought my knowledge to be insufficient to be teaching anyone! But give God a chance, and it'll amaze you what he can do with you. :)

I could write a book on my travels, but it still wouldnt cover what i have to say. So here are a few pointers i have extrapolated instead, any other details and you will just have to ask me personally...........

- poverty sux, especially when u see it affecting children
- half the population of madagascar is aged under 14, so there were a LOT of kids!!
- When challenged outside your comfort zone, giving my fears and apprehensions to God empowered me to complete tasks once thought impossible.
- I've developed a real compassion for the people of madagascar and africa
- Perth is SO clean and nice smelling!
- Lemurs run funny and have soft hands. (yes hands, NOT paws!)
- Madagascar is reknown for their wood carvings, and i scored these carved hidden daggers and a carved musical lute for under $10!!
- On our return from madagascar, we went via mauritius for further teaching, but also for some R&R...... :)
- On one of our days off, we formed a scooter gang and terrorized the island of Mauritius. We invaded the lush tropical beaches, tranquil blue waters, gently swaying palm trees, doing as we pleased (mainly lying on beaches comatose)
- I've taken a liking to sunbaking, where in the past i detested it. Must have something to do with the Mauritian sun! :)
- Scooters rock, especially when all they are used for was for getting from one beach to the next.
- The food in Mauritius was delish!! The chinese food in madagascar was NOT.
- I tried snails for the 1st time ever in madagascar!!
- Africa will always have a place in my heart. Always.

Photos will be up when i get the time to put them up. Watch this SPACE!!!

Madagascar: NOT the movie.

Well, I think this will be my last post for awhile, not that i've been posting much anyway..... The time between my last post and now has been pretty hectic, i dare say its been one of the craziest periods of my life so far.

That's a big call, whenever u r comparing it to all the other events in your LIFE. But i think its right up there. This is mainly coz work has been crazy, so that's the entire day taken up. On top of that, i still have my daily commitments at nights, which really leaves only monday nite free for me. But now, i've started playing basketball on monday nites, so i dont think i've got a spare weeknite anymore......... i think i'm gonna hafta reassess my commitments. I dont think i'm burning out, but i probably could if i'm not careful.

I'm leaving for Africa on friday night, which is the other reason why i havent been blogging much or will be for the next few weeks. Preparation for the trip has been mad as well, especially when things have been quite disorganised. So the last few days leading up to our departure, there's been a mad dash to get things done.

For those that dont know, i'll be heading on my 1st mission trip ever, to africa, namely; Mauritius & Madagascar. We'll be going there to teach the existing church pastors and leadership groups there, which to me is one of the most challenging things i have ever done. I mean its one thing advising a graduate at work, but teaching the bible to pastors!? ME!?

I'll be honest and say that i had my doubts leading up to our departure. I mean, i've never had any teaching/lecturing experience in my life, let alone any theological training. But this week has been good, it's made me realise that God can work thru me, and its amazing the amt of stuff i'm taking in just before my departure. I just wish i had started a LOT earlier......

Feel free to drop me an email whilst i'm away, it'll be nice to hear from ppl!!! (If i can find internet access over there!)

Friday night city shopping

I havent been into the city in quite awhile, and i was reminded very quickly why i detested it in the 1st place.... parking was a real hassle and expensive too! Gone are the days of free parking....

Another sight to behold were the people that constituted the "crowd" in the bustling city of perth.... most who live here would agree that's we're in a rather chilly spell at the moment. So seeing girls in the shortest of short skirts and skimpy singlet tops was quite a sight... i thought was in the middle of summer, apart from the touch of frost on my brow..... ;)

Then a girl with a dog collar..... i know, it's so 2 or 3 or 4 yrs ago, (or whenever!) so its not the collar i was suprised about, it was more the chain attached to it! And the chain was clasped by this man (or was it a manly woman?) And He/She was leading her around Forrest Chase! WTF!?

But the plus side of the city at the moment are the number of sales on! And they're pretty good quality, not those rubbishy sales where the stuff they're trying to get rid off are on sale only. There's actually worthwhile items this time!

Thank goodness for my self-restraint........ :)

Sinking sand...

I must appear to be a very angry person...... especially since my last post was about venting. What i'm about to write may appear to be more venting, but this is REALLY bugging me, so out it comes......

I've been having real issues with responsiblity and people pulling their weight, the last couple of months. It's not the majority mind you, more the minority. The worst thing about it is that i totally do NOT want to sound self-righteous about it, but when it comes down to it, i feel like I've been doing all the bloody work and noone around me bothers to lift a fat finger!!! Sure its easy to think inwardly here, as there is some bias to the thought, but as the workload piles on from everywhere, i feel like i'm being stretched thin over everything, so i can no longer produce my best efforts for the tasks!

And that really sucks, coz i like to put 100% into all i do, knowing that i'd achieve a good result, but coz of this, a good result is getting harder and harder to achieve.

And i'm not just talking about work...... Off the top of me head, i can count; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.....that's the number of things i've got going on all at one time for the next 3 wks..... And i've gotta fit it in with work. WTF!?

I'm not gonna list the things i got going on or what the specific issues are, but suffice to say, i'm starting to feel myself sinking a little now, and i'm hoping that the ppl around me will start to notice before i'm up to my eyeballs in it, and perhaps pull out a fat finger to not just help me out, but themselves and others too......

Flight schedules suck!

I found out some bad news today...... I'll miss 2 West Coast home games in July!! I misread my travel itinerary, where i thought i was leaving on saturday nite-sunday morning, on the midnight flight. That would've been cool, coz its a night game, which runs from 6pm to 10.40pm, then i'd get straight onto the place for Africa!!

But alas, the flight is actually midnight, friday night-saturday morning...... :(

And coz of the time we're away, i'll miss the following home game as well..... And when this season's been so great, i really didnt want to miss a game this season at all!!

Venting!

Today for some reason, a few people brought up the topic of venting...... ie. the need to vent during those times of frustration. Now i totally agree, coz there are things that happen everyday that can get under your skin, and I reckon if u dont release this, it can eat u up inside.

So I wish to vent.......

Today, I was searching for a park, when i saw this car pulling out. I thought, "Cool, i got a spot", turned my indicators on, and waited for this lady to back out. But as she takes off, this bloody camry comes from nowhere and "zip!" straight into my spot. WTF!? I gave her a honk with my horn, and she has the gall to look around at me, then turned around and proceeded to continue to park her car.

My blood was boiling at this point, so i went elsewhere to find another spot. I'm not really hot tempered, so i didnt mind driving away from this incident, but as i parked into another spot, i so nearly wanted to go back to that camry, and write down for her the ettiquette of parking..... ON her car, WITH MY KEYS...... if u get my drift! :)

Heart racing

Driving home tonight thru Leederville sounds routine and nothing at all special. Except when there's a booze bus camped at the intersection where the freeway entries are, and there's no way out but to go thru their road block!

It's funny how the sight of a booze bus or something simliar gets your heart racing.... the 1st thought that entered my head was "bugger! I hope i dont get flagged!" The 2nd thought was, "just how many beers did i have tonite? Will I be under the limit?"

Then I felt a little silly when my 3rd thought echoed," you havent had a beer all bloody night, stupid."

Daze

Life's a daze at the moment..... I seem to be going thru the motions, and the days pass in a blur. What am I doing here? What am I striving for? What's today's goal?

I feel so spaced out right now, which explains the thoughts occupying my mind, being scribed onto this blog. There seems so much to do, yet there's not enough time to do it nor things to do. I keep working and plodding on but to what avail? Why do we keep working ourselves to exhaustion, and tell ourselves its good? Why does it make us feel satisfied to come home from work tired? Can we not feel refreshed after work? Is it possible to feel like that yet be satified with ourselves?

Then i am reminded of the light at the end of the tunnel. Yes, there is greener grass just on that side, a little to the left..... There is a reason to all this, a purpose to our chase. We just gotta try to discover it, and if we never ask, we'll never get it. So ask Him for it. Bring on Africa! :)

Where are the bargains?

Today sucked.... It's supposed to be my day off, but coz someone called in sick, i was asked if i could come in and cover. It wasnt so much a question, more an expectation that i WOULD come in. But I did anyway, since i'm such a nice guy..... :)

My dilemma came after work, where i was trying to find a quick and easy, cheap bite to eat. I remember the days when i could find a satisfying meal for 5 bucks, the pinkish single note that would satisfy the food vendors. But now, i could barely find anything for under 7 bucks! That would mean having to break my 10 dollar note! Not that i had one, i only had a five in my wallet. (plus 10 cents)

So i had to go all the way to the bank to get cash, but ended up buying a dozen dunkin donuts for 12 bucks for lunch..... :p

My return...

I have been contemplating the cessation of blogging, as i believe that no actually checks my blog anymore. (except maybe 1 person, thanks Leedear! ) So I'll just hafta wait and see how many comments i get to keep going, then maybe i will keep this going. So what brought me back to the blogging table? The same reason i started this blog in the 1st place, nearly a year ago now...... pain and incapacitation.

I am hurting quite badly at the moment, but thankfully its not the same pain i had in the beginning of this blog where i had to have surgery for it. This pain is more self-inflicted, and the incapacitation, temporary. But coz i cant (and dont want to) move, i'll just sit here and blog for a bit..... ;)

The origin of this stems from the long wkend, where i've been in Bunbury participating in this year's State Youth Games. Its basically a massive sports carnival with about 1000 participants, all vying to excel in their nominated sports to win the trophy for their team. I was part of the Subi team, where i played the grand sports of Bocce, basketball, beach volleyball and mixed netball. :)

It was the last one that got the better of me..... I forgot how high impact netball is, and coz we actually did well and got into the finals, there were extra matches to be played. Now my entire body is aching, my quads the worst, which causes me to struggle as i try to stand up even! But it was a fantastic wkend nonetheless, by far the best i've experienced and a splendid job done by our organiser Middo.

I honestly do not know how the heck i'm gonna make it to work 2mrw, i havent felt this sore and sorry for myself since i did my back, but at the same time, i've never felt this alive for a long, long time.

On Holidays....

I started my holidays on thurs, and its been a pretty full on weekend..... I dont think i've been out this much since my early uni days, where an 18 yr old's energy levels are unsurmountable. But i sit here now, after a sunday sesh and bumming around a dead Heat Nightclub, pretty exhausted.

I think back to my early uni days..... how on earth did i ever manage to go out as much as i did? Nowadays, i go out once a wkend, and that's enough! Nicole summed it up nicely tonite,"We're getting old."

One may ask, why the sudden need to go out so much this wkend? Trying to relive one's youth? Trying to feel young again by hanging out in these places? Just wanna have a good time? Too much time and money on your hands? (the last one definitely does NOT apply.)

I'm leaving for Europe 2mrw.... well actually today. I leave this afternoon for london, where i'll commence my European adventure for the next 3 mths. I'll be back in April, but until then, i wont be updating this blog anymore, till i return.
For those who know me and wish to recieve email updates, drop me an email and i'll put u on my list. I pretty much have everyone, but if u think i dont have it, give it to me anyway.

Au revoir everyone, and Bon Voyage to me! :)

There is hope yet...

In light of the Tsunami catastrophe, now more than ever, i feel there is hope yet. How so? Well.......

There's been SO MUCH fund raising stuff for the tsunami victims, u cant get by without seeing an ad on tv, newspaper, billboard, beer cartons, or hearing about it on radio. Yet, i'm amazed at how generous and caring ppl have been. When i saw Eddie Maguire on that telethon thing, i cringed and thought," not another plug by Eddie..." But the general public are unlike me. They looked past that. They are bigger than that. They see the real issue here. That is, helping the victims. And I'll admit, i was humbled by this.

Noone has really dwelled on the past. It's happened. Get over it. Let's focus on what we're left with, help the victims, fix what needs fixing. I've only heard a minority of reports on "WHY". Usually in times like these, i notice ppl like to ask "WHY" or "Who's to blame". I'm glad that hasnt been the bulk of the news.

I wonder if god allowed such a travesty to occur as a spur for mankind to unite & show care for one another for once, no matter who they are or where they're from. I mean, we had a impromptu concert/telethon thingy on sat nite that raised 15 million dollars in a few hrs. The cricket match (World XI vs Asia) raised over 10 million during the match. Coporate businesses from everywhere are throwing in millions and hundreds of thousands in. I'm thinking,"how come everyone's got so much money all of a sudden?"

In a world that strives towards and seeks profits rather than gains, it so warms my heart to see some humility return to the world. Where the starving children in africa, war in iraq, abusive govts of millitaristic regimes failed to raise an eyebrow yesterday, today this one catasrophe has managed to bring together the WHOLE world and show love for humanity. Love for one another. Love for our fellow human being.

Exquisite beauty

I came across a odd sight tonight....

One of the most beautiful women i have seen for a long time graced me with her presence tonight. She strode by me, just as i was shovelling the mixture of curry lamb and rice into my oral orifice. Initially, she did not captivate me, rather i was more intent on completing the shovelling procedure so i could satisfy the wonton desires of my gut.

As the mixture seared the inner lining of my throat as i swallowed, only then did i notice her across the room, being seated at her table. Then, "Whack!". I was slapped hard across my face. I nearly fell over from the force of the strike, but my jaw was not so lucky. It dropped and hit the table hard. As I tried pick my jaw off the table, i found it difficult to avoid the blows of beauty that radiated from her presence.

She exuded class, elegance and beauty as she sat there and placed her order that would satisfy her appetite. As the waitress left, only then did i notice what was amiss from this perfect scenario...... She was dining alone. Table set for one. Uno momento..... WTF!? What is such an exquisite specimen of the female gender doing ALONE? That's not right.

People ask, "what did u do about it then?". I did what any gentleman would've done of course. :)

Tear Jerker

3 posts in one day is a record for me, but i just HAVE TO share this post, dated the 4th Jan 2005, with everyone.

It's a really amazing story that really tugs at the heart strings, but for me, it really struck deeply in me for some reason. 2 points she writes really STICK out to me...... (1) the grace of God, and (2) "reducing stress and enjoying the everydayness of life"

2 things that i too believe strongly in.

Are u for real?

Outback Jack is in Perth next wk! I had a bit of a chuckle when the girls were given a reprieve from the outback to return to civilisation and be allowed to shop in a metropolis. And they picked Perth. !?@?#?

Out of Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, which is more of a metropolis with all the facillities to quench any shopping desire?

Things are never as u planned

In recent times, i havent been a big fan of planning things. This is coz i have been bitten too many times in planning events, only for it to crumble to dust and/or ppl not turning up. I get my hopes up or get amped towards something, only to be disappointed. And this doesnt just happen with women either. It's EVERY thing in life. Even down to catching up for a coffee with someone, borrowing a book, asking a favour, maintaining friendships.................

Today i knew i had a slack day. I mean, looking at the appt book yesterday, i had this huge 3 hr lunch today. So i thought, "what will i do for 3 hrs? Why play xbox of course!" So i brought my xbox to work, all ready to tackle my game of the moment, FIFA 2005. (For those thinking of getting it, GET IT! Its fabulous!)

But what do u know? My 3 hr lunch break got whittled down to 30 mins, and i ended up having a full-on day. Never got to even kick off..... Sigh. So i lugged my xbox all the way to work, for NOTHING.

Outcomes of the long weekend...

Rather than dwell on what i PLAN to do in the new year, i might try something different and write about the "Outcomes over the New Year long weekend festivities."

1) Where everyone and everything else gets to kick back and relax during this period, my gastro-intestinal system has had to pick up the pace, especially since xmas.
2) Consumption of alcohol, even in a responsible manner, for consecutive days, gets u dehydrated. My mouth is like a 5 yr old dried prune.
3) I came to re-live the nightclub life, and why i have such a "love-hate" relationship with it.
4) For once, i didnt mind being squished in an extremely hot, humid, sweaty dance floor wif hundreds of other strangers, counting down the new yr to some african drumbeats....(only they werent actually african ppl!)
5) There is one restaurant in Northbridge I will NEVER recommend to anyone. It was appalling and i vow never to go again (unless it was free of course!) If u do not want the worst dining experience of your life, just ask me and i'll tell u which one it is.
6) Found a new place in northbridge worth going to, The Shed, seems like a great venue for a sunday session or catchup drinks.
7) Playing 18 holes of NY day golf after 4 hrs of sleep is NOT easy. (especially when the day is 35 degrees)
8) I've got MAJOR bogan tan lines due to 5 hrs on the sunny fairways. I'm a little annoyed, coz this summer i've tried to maintain an "even" all over tan.
9) sunburn hurts
10) chicks spewing in public is still NOT a good look.
11) greek-macedonian dancing is fun. Any cultural enrichment is cool.
12) I've eaten and drank way too much. The gut has returned.... :(
13) Returning to work is not going to be pretty......

dampeners...

Being out on the last nite of 2004 was great. Northbridge was a lot quieter than i'd ever expected (is perth shrinking!?) but there was a decent enough crowd where we were anyway. Afterall, all everyone wants is to have a good time with our fellow human beings and see off 2004, right?

It came to my attention last nite there were the odd idiots that are ever present. What goes thru these ppl's minds i dont know. I thought that the crowd around me were pretty good, everyone was just doing their thing. But my friend had her boobs grabbed by some random dipshit, which scared the crap out of her, all whilst he smiled n sniggered. Understandably, she was quite upset.

Why do ppl have to do that? It's guys like this that give males a bad name, and that pisses me off. Then "ALL" guys in that place become seedy. Cant ppl not control themselves? Maybe they should stick to grabbing themselves instead.

Judging a book by its cover...

U know how they say "dont judge a book by its cover"? Well i dont know about u, but i still do sometimes. Especially when it comes to choosing books or wine. What catches my eye about a wine is what the label on the bottle looks like. Sounds bad right? I of all people should know this, but i still fall into this trap.

Well tonight, i brought a bottle of merlot that someone had given me for my b'day last yr to a barbie tonight. I thought it wouldnt be the best wine i'd ever brought, since it looked like a really average bottle. But once i poured it into the glass, took a whiff and taste, it was awesome.

Because of this tonight, i have fallen in love with organic wine. Havent heard of it? Well neither have I, until tonight. I'm a big fan of organic wine now, especially this one, i'll be looking out for it on the shelves.........

Tsunami Terror

It struck me this morning as i picked up the front page of the newspaper the enormity of the situation. I mean, for it to make front page news, it would have to be quite important, right? I remember last nite my dad telling me there was a big earthquake near indonesia, extending to india and thailand. At the time, i was too engrossed in my xbox game, Splinter Cell; Pandora Tommorrow. (Mind u, it is an awesome game requiring much concentration!) I sort of nodded and showed some kind of acknowledgement to him, but inwardly i was cursing the fact he was interrupting my gaming! Doesnt he realise i could die, and i would have to start the level again!?

We hear of disasters on the news all the time. The media covers everything so well nowadays, i dont even take notice of them. But this morning as i read the full story, i realised i know some ppl that are in Phuket and Penang as i type this. Then i read on, realising that Phuket is one of the worst places hit, and the a number killed in Penang. My heart sank a little. My thoughts of the 3 ppl i know there come flooding in, and i pray that they would be safe.

When the bali bombings occured, it was a shocking incident, yet i could not not fully empathise. Now, i can associate the panic and concern that family would have over the ppl in the affected areas. Guys, if u r out there and read this, pls let me know ur ok! :)

Scrooge

I think i'm pretty close to being a xmas scrooge. Dont get me wrong, i dont go saying "bah humbug" to everything and everyone, but i'm really not at all excited about xmas at all. If anything, its an opportunity for me to kick my legs up and chill.

A few of the girls at work are all excited about the day and everything, but i'm not too fussed about it. I dont know if it comes across as me being moody or a scrooge, but xmas just aint a big thing to me!

I mean it is important in the fact that it celebrate's Jesus' birth, but I consider easter a much more important date/time. I think easter is the most important event on the christian calendar, not xmas. People may disagree with me here..... :p

I think back to when i was younger, whether xmas was a big thing then..... I dont believe it was. So maybe that's where my view comes from...... At the end of the day, it seems like most are getting overly excited for what is essentially a long wkend. But i definitely enjoy the excuse to get together with friends and family, laze about with a beer in one hand, food in the other, and watch the boxing day test.

Merry xmas.

Have u ever noticed how...

- In the bank, there are like 8 teller counters...... Have u ever seen more than half the counters manned at one time!? I was at the bank today, and had to wait 30 mins to be served. All the while there were 8 counters, and only THREE people attending. What the heck do we pay all these bloody bank fees for? Where do the million dollar profits that we hear about go to!? Why close at 4pm when it takes u so bloody long to see your customers?

- We live in dangerous times....... the bank i went to had security sliding doors to get INTO the teller counters. So basically the line was facing a door, until the teller inside pushed a button to let u into the area where they were! Talk about HIGH security!

- Courtesy does not exist...... On my drive to work and home, I let about 5 people in front of me How many thank yous did i get? Nil, nada, zilch, zero, none, bugger all.

- kids are maturing sooner....... more so for females, but schoolgirls nowadays look so mature, i have difficulty differentiating them from 15 yr olds or 25 yr olds! Such was the case today in the shopping centre... so many young chicks out today, wonder why..... Oh yeah, its school hols... Woops, that means they must still be at school!....

- some people dont know much about their own job...... i went into a shop, wanting to apply for something. The moment i ask questions outside the square, the guy has got no clue, and starts fishing for answers out of his arse. That annoys me, coz if u dont know, just say so and get me someone who does!

sport & psychology

U know how sometimes u have that unscratchable itch in u, where u just cant wait to get out and get to that itch? Something that has been building up within u, with no sense of resolve? Well one of those itches for me has been the desire to play sport again.

Ever since my injury, i have been incapable to play any sort of sport. In fact, i could barely twist around to reach over to get anything! But after a month of physio, i've been put back on track, and have reached the point where i may resume an active lifestyle once more.

So today i managed to have my 1st swing of the golf club in a LONG time. I must admit that i was quite apprehensive in going to the driving range, as i did not want a recurrence of my injury. So the 1st few swings were definitely very ginger, so tentative that i missed the ball completely! (Much to the amusement of my golfing wannabe companion ;) Then again, i dont know if she was laughing at my golf skill or just me...)

It definitely took awhile to get going, and i started middle-ing the ball more, although in my mind i was constantly thinking i was feeling pain or tightness from my back. This was definitely a case of "mind over matter". The back is fine. Surgery has fixed it. Now i need to get my mind over it. And stop being so scared. Who says sport psych doesnt exist?

Beach or shopping?

Seeing that i didnt start work till 3 in the afternoon, i had a variety of options as to how to spend my half day off today. One was to go to the beach. The other, xmas shopping and errands. I chose the latter. Now i regret that decision.

The shops were packed. And not just packed, but filled with smelly teenagers (sorry to all those nice-smelling teenagers) Finding presents was like trekking thru densr jungle, using my arms as machetes, chopping and fending stray arm-like branches blocking the way. The bright signs vying for your attention simply brings on more confusion, especially an unseasoned shopping campaigner like me. And it was HOT, so going from store to store was taxing..... Xmas carols were ingrained into my brain that i found myself subconsciously humming it by the end of the day. I was drawn to the "sale" signs like a bear to honey, picking and poking at it until my cravings were satisfied.

When i finally got home, i thought,"I could do with a swim about now". Then i realised it was time to go to work, and i had missed my chance. I love going to the beach when its stinkin hot, i love the ability to sweat the instant u step out of the water, just so u can hop back in. And i missed all that so as to mix it with the best of the material world.... sigh.

Reflections

I'm in a kind of a reflective mood today.... I guess it was a lazy sort of a day, where it was a cruisy morning at work, had coffee with a friend in the arvo, got a haircut, went to the physio, then dinner with some friends.... Life just passes by..... has my whole yr walked by me like that? It's kinda hard to explain, but my day sorta just happened. The sun rises, then it sets, and here i am, its dark, & i'm blogging. Just seems like we get so blase about all we do.... I guess as the end of 2004 approaches, we all look back in retrospect to what we have achieved or gained out of the yr, and i guess upon reflection, here are a few moments of 2004 that made it the yr it was for me....

- I cut my hair (for those that remember, it was quite long)
- I hurt my back at basketball
- The pain of my back for 3 mths
- The incapacitated "me" for the majority of this yr!
- My baptism
- Back Surgery
- Progress of my professional career
- starting & continuing lap swimming
- 1 week wonderful whirlwind holiday of Singapore, thanks to gracious hostess... :)
- consolidation of real friendships

I'm sure there'll be more when i have more time to think of it!

Most hated people....

As i was driving to work today, something on the radio got me thinking as to what is the most detested occupation in today's society is. Depending on what kind of person u r, occupations such as policeman come to mind, perhaps even the dentist?? Ppl always rave on about how they HATE the dentist and cant understand how anyone could do it or how they cause constant pain.... How about real moronic bouncers who dont let u in for no good reason? Lollipop men/women that take their sweet ass time in getting off the road! One occupation that is really annoying, but i'll admit is bloody hard work is telemarketers. Even phone sales ppl..... they must get so much abuse from the ppl they call, i dont know how they do it.

But i reckon i've found the one occupation that would be THE MOST HATED. Even more than the dreaded dentist. An occupation that could earn u scorns and hisses from the general public should u reveal yourself. One that u would not be mentioning to impress the ladies. One that could result in violence should it be revealed to its innocent victim.......the multinova cameraman.

multitasking

For those in the know, the Subi Street Party was on over the wkend. The closing of Rokeby Rd and Hay Street added a new dimension to subi i thought...... It was wierd walking on the road meant for cars..... It sorta shifted perspective looking around from the road rather than the footpath!

It was a pretty good setup i thought, and gradually the streets got packed. The music of some of the bands were great, some not so great :) I found it amusing that they chucked the heavy metal band at the far end of the party, away from the masses.... :)

There was free rock climbing, food, drink, rides, games...... kinda like a mini-fair of sorts. And the weather was great for it too! I was tempted into paying 5 bucks to play the popgun game, where i have to shoot rabbits. But I figured that even if i were to hit the maximum number of targets, the prize u get wasnt worth the 5 bucks spent in the 1st place, so i passed..... :p

And of course, what would a party be without animals!? There were the token sheep, lamb, cattle, turkey, chooks and 2 goats. Wot a zoo huh? And the goats were most impressive...... able to multitask the duties of peeing & pooping & eating, ALL at the SAME time. Quite a feat..... I dare u to try it! :)

Killing time

How does one waste a day? Just observe me today. I had practically nothing to do today, had a handful of patients to treat, otherwise i was bored stiff. I really racked my brains as to what i could do to kill time, but i kept drawing a blank.

One option is to go shopping, again! But i thought better of it, especially from my previous blog about this. I also tried sitting around reading my lonely planet, but got pretty bored of it.

One of the advantages of working where i work is the ability to sleep on my workstation. For those who know what i do, my workstation is convertible (in a sense) into a neat package for lying back and having a snooze. Boy that kills time alright, and i didnt realise how tired i was, till i laid back and closed my eyes......

Cheesy

I had a Ham-tuna-cheese sandwich for lunch today. But even that was not as cheesy as wot was on tv tonite. Dancing with the stars was on, and it's the 2nd time i've ever seen it, and it was the finale. For starters, how the heck did Pauline Hanson get into the final 2!? And wot was with the big choreographed dance with Daryl Sommers singing? So not good....... Thank goodness justice prevailed and Bec Cartwright won...... I may have slit my wrists if Pauline won, i think the quality of Australian tv is on the slide......

On the flip side, american tv never fails to entertain. I've never seen a full episode, but i always managed to catch the last few mins of this show called elove. Yes, it follows the trail of 2 internet lovers meeting for the 1st time. They show how they met and communicated over chat rooms, then finally arrange to meet beacause they believe they've met they're true love.

Dont get me wrong, i reckon its sweet and would be awesome for ppl to find their soul mates, lovers, husbands, wives, life partner over the internet, espeically in this day and age. Modern tech allows us to reach millions of ppl around the globe, so eventually dating and romance would have to conform too!

But the stark reality of this show is that from the limited last bits i've seen, none of the couples actually end up together. Admittedly, i havent seen many, but it always seems to end with, "HE/SHE is not exactly what i thought they'd be". In the end, I guess some things never change......

Retail Therapy 2

Femine urges are pervading my masculinity. In other words, i think i'm starting to enjoy shopping.

Today, i had a 3 hour lunch..... havent had one of those in awhile. :) Anywayz, i tot i'd go into carousel to do some shopping for a top hat and cane for the formal on saturday nite. Wot did i end up doing instead? Went into different stores, looking, trying on, buying stuff. Ended up buying stuff, feeling pretty good about it, until on the way back to work, i realised i was supposed to get the gear for the formal. Hmph.

Then just now, got a call from a mate who got invited to Mainpeak's member-only sale. I just HAD TO check out the stuff on sale and the specials. Ended up getting this wicked travel towel and the cool blue carrabina with combo lock.

What's going on!? When has this sudden change hit me? (Or more importantly, what can i do with a blue carrabina with combo lock??) What happened to that typical blokey attititude of having to shop only when necessary? When the underpants are so well-worn that u have to peel if from your epidermis to get new ones on?

Return my manhood please.....

Dot Dot Dot

I just completed one of the longest days i've had in a long, long time, since i returned to work. The day started with being stuck in theatre from 8am till 12pm. Then had patients from 2pm till 6.30pm. I didnt get home till 7pm, then had to shoot off again for BS, which just finished, so here i am at 11pm writing this....... Cant wait for my head to hit that pillow.

I've also discussed with many others who suffer my condidtion (hayfever) whether it has been getting worse. Most ppl i talk to all agree this yr's been the worst ever! My eyes just kill me! It gets so itchy and blurry, it's really annoying. Today, I had to resort to using IV Saline to lubricate my eyes, coz i could barely see what i was doing!! But i got these new Meds from David.... hope it works. :) So girls, dont blame me for not like flowers......... :)

I just found out a couple of friends of mine have been together for 5 yrs. FIVE yrs. I find that amazing. I definitely dont come anywhere near that. In fact, i dont think i've really had any relationship i consider "real" for any substantial period of time really. But looking back, i think i've been quite immature in my thinking, coz i definitely dont feel the same way now!

I've gone away from "let's just keep having fun" to a more mature psyche of "maybe i should start looking for something more serious". I'd like to think that its a sign of me growing up :) Maturity takes time, it's like a piece of good, delicious, juicy fruit.... it takes TIME to ripen and flourish.

Things of Love & Hate

- I love lists. ;)
- Hate pikers
- Like my beef med-rare
- Prefer comfort over fashion
- Love taking photos but not being in them
- Dont mind standing in a queue
- Hate selfish drivers
- Love organisation
- Can stomach most things, but not smells
- Hate lateness
- Love good wine
- Prefer egg yolk runny
- Love travelling
- Love GOOD coffee; there's a difference!
- Hate being bored, always gotta have something to do!
- Hate my dodgy back, but love it when it's an excuse to get u out of something! ;)
- Dont really like suprises
- Love presents! :)
- Prefer not to have a beer gut
- I so dont like lying!!

I tried to top Moocher's effort, but i've fallen 80 short.... Oh well......

We are a multicultural nation

I remember a time when sashimi was taboo, lemon chicken was exotic, curry was for the brave and to have italian was to be "way" out there. My how times have changed.

I had lunch at the subi markets food court, and while i dug into some bavarian food (ie. meat patty, bacon, sauce, salad on a turkish roll), i relished at the thought of eating something from germany. Now whether the meat and produce was from germany i dont know, but it tasted good nonetheless.

What I came to realise was how multicultural australia has become. Despite Pauline Hanson's best efforts, i would have to think australia would have to be one of the MOST multicultural countries in the world! Now i come from a place "considered" to be pro-multicultural, but i think aust. has it all over Singapore.

Now back to the foodcourt..... we had old aussie ladies having asian combination, indian ppl having a kebab, italian ppl having curry, me having bavarian..... At school, i remember when i used to bring my noodles or rice for lunch, and i got the piss taken out of me big time. But then, vegemite sandwiches didnt really appeal to me! Now, it's probably passe, and i reckon my mum would have to be one of the pioneers of using the 'ol thermos flask for storing piping hot noodles which was my lunch! :)

I reckon what migrants have done for this country is phenomenal, such a grand multicultural society is the best gift Australia has ever recieved and given at the same time.

Dopey ramblings

As I put finger to keyboard, I'm a bit apprehensive that all the beautiful writing may suddenly disappear like last time. Well, we'll have to see what will be left by the time i'm finished.....

Anyway, I dont have much to say. I'm feeling really dopey right now, the fact that i had a real long day at work today, small grp straight after which just finished, and i'm pooped. So please excuse me if my words arent too coherent..... So here are some random thoughts floating in me head, similar to what I intended to write last time.....

1) My head is rude. What i mean by this is that my hair has reached a stage where its,"not-short-enough-yet-not-long-enough-to-do-anything". It's in this middle stage, and i'm not sure what to do with it. I'm seriously considering growing it long again, although back then i had more negative feedback than positive. Or go short again. Decisons, decisions....... ;P

2) Rain is good. My car got washed, and washed real good!! :)

3) Love. Tonite really sucked. I know i've had a long day and am tired and all, but when someone actually needed me, i failed to show the love, care and kindness i normally do or should. That should not be the case. Lately, i think i can feel myself having less love for the ppl around me. And it sux coz I'm not normally like this, i dont know wots going on....

4) I've just realised i have fallen out of touch with a lot of ppl. I know a big chunk of the yr was taken up by my back problem, but i feel kinda ashamed by it too.

5) U know life is moving around u when u find out that some friends have moved overseas, some friends are getting married, some friends will be moving out of perth long term to pursue careers, etc., when u talk about kids like they r kids n ur the adult, and the date is 10th nov already!!!

6) The screen is appearing blurry..... I think it's time for me to reach for some zzz..

Pardon the gibberish....

I wrote this great big blog, but all of a sudden it's disappeared...... Just a great way to top off my monday...... :(

And your mission is....??

It's interesting how a bunch of events just happen at the same time in your life. For some reason the past few wks, i've been exposed to various ppl, issues and organisations regarding missions.

For example, i met a bunch of guys that are full time with YWAM, which really opened my eyes to the world of mission work. And it was real encouraging to see these guys with so much passion and motivation for what they do. Then i got hooked up with the healthcare arm of them, medical boomerang, who oraganises mission work for health providers. My cousin is going to India for mission work in Jan 2005. And tonite, i just got back from another meeting with 2 doctors that just came back from 3 mths in India during medical mission work. And there have been a couple of other things that have happened, related to mission work. That the!?

Is God trying to tell me something perhaps? :) I must admit that i have a growing interest to do some mission work next yr, especially hearing all the great stories and testimonies from the ppl around me who have done mission work.

Now i dont think mission work is for everybody and not something u do just coz u "want to do good". I believe its a bit of a calling, and besides, u dont have to go overseas to some 3rd world country to be on a mission..... U can do it right here!

Thursday night, is Reality TV nite!

Thursday nite is my favorite nite to stay in. Mainly coz i work till late and cant be stuffed doing anything afterwards. But also of the great viewing that is on free-to-air tv, if u r into reality tv. Upon reflection, i struggle to remember the time b4 reality tv. I mean, what would we ever do without it!? :)

The lineup of The amazing race, extreme makeover, Next top model & The apprentice 2 tonite was rather entertaining. Especially the amazing race and apprentice 2, where the focus was really on people's inability to get along. Personal catfights were really magnified in tonite's episodes.

As civilised ppl, is it really that difficult to get along? It's so embarassing to watch fellow humans humiliate themselves by petty bickering over "Who's fault it was" for failing a task. The moment one person makes a mistake or does something the other doesnt agree with, the finger comes out, ready to point. Is the option of focusing on the task itself not possible, instead of personal conflicts?

It really opens my eyes to whether i'm too quick to point the finger myself, and perhaps i should consider other ppl's feelings and situation 1st, b4 i act in haste.

It's Official

Yes, I'm officially going backpacking in Jan 05.

I booked and paid for my tickets on the wkend, after 1 night of planning. Compared to the last trip i made to europe 2 yrs ago, there was little to no planning to this one. Maybe coz i've been b4, i've come to realise that too much planning doesnt do much. So basically my travel partner& I just sat down one night, chat about it, surfed the net a bit, and the next day went to book and purchase the tickets. So on the 17th Jan 2005, I am off to London to begin what i believe to be a great adventure.

I'll be doing central and eastern europe this time, as i did western europe last time. We'll be gone about 9 wks in total, maybe more, depending how the money and attitude situation is at the time. I'm actually quite excited about it.

And the money situation is tight. I've spent more in preparation to this trip than i did the last one!! I guess i sorta learnt from last time what to and not to bring, and coz i've been working, i've got a bit more to spend. But with that comes the "OVER-buying".

Basically, i know what i need to survive an european winter. Because of the ability to purchase more gear, i've gone on a bit of a shopping spree to get the best and coolest stuff for travelling. And for those that have travelled, u all know how damn expensive travel gear from those outdoor stores are!!

Oh well, as long as it helps make my trip all that more comfortable and enjoyable, i guess its worth the extra moolah......

Spring

Today was the epitomy of a Perth Spring day. Low 20 degrees celsius, bright sunshine, not a cloud in the sky kind of day. I hope Perthites were able to enjoy what we have been blessed with. So i thought i'd jot a few things i love and not-so-love about Spring....

What i love about Spring:
1) The mild temps
2) the fine sunny days that arent too hot, not too cold.
3) fashion (more summery clothes)
4) flowers, plants, scenery..... just a lot nicer.
5) no rain (although i know that's a bad thing)
6) having coffee at an outdoor cafe, watching the crowds go by.
7) feeling the sun for the 1st time on my winter-white skin
8) announcements of engagements and weddings
9) Our blue sky (its the best i've seen anywhere else in the world)

What i hate about Spring:
1) hayfever
2) hayfever
3) hayfever

For some reason, my hayfever has been getting worse for the past 2 yrs, which have been the only yrs i've really been affected by hayfever. Previous to this, i never really suffered from it. All of a sudden now, i get the full on itchy-teary eyes, runny nose, itchy throat, congested feeling.... Thank goodness for medication, i dont think i'd be able to survive the day/outdoors if not for it!

Revenge is sweet....

Sucked in Man Utd....... lost 2-0 to Portsmouth. That's for stealing an undeserved win from arsenal.

A tribute...

It came to pass a few days ago that Tyson, passed away in unfortunate circumstances. I extend my condolences to Tyson's family. He was a good friend and consumate companion to all. On 1st impressions, he may come across a tad menacing, but once i got to know him, he was really a softy at heart who just wanted to play and have fun all the time. He is there when u r down, more than willing to wipe off your frown with a flash of this toothy grin.

Ty will be sorely missed by all who knew him, and i pray for healing for those who mourn his passing. Rest in peace Tyson.

Much needed rest

I had a wkend i really needed. Pretty much stayed home most of it, and ended up sleeping for most of the day and night of fri and sat. I guess i reached a point where i needed a long period of sleep to "catch up" on the lack of rest i've had.

Sunday was was the usual, goin to church in the morning, then grabbing some lunch with friends i havent caught up with in a long long time. Especially with the weather the way it was, it was such a great day to be having lunch outside, watchin everyone walk by!!

But Sunday nite was huge. Went to Church Together 04 for the 1st time, which totally blew my mind. To put things in perspective, the nite was basically a combined church service of all the churches of all denominations in perth, all packed into the Burswood Dome. So we're talking about 15000 ppl here. (or so i'm told) I'm really bad when it comes to estimating numbers, but trust me, when the dome was packed the way it was, there was a LOT of people.

I always get a buzz going to these events, its great to see so many ppl on fire for God the way they were. The only downside was Geoff Gallop giving a really piss-poor speech. And it always amazes me how many ppl are touched by these events to anwer the call and go up front when called. It was a great nite, but shame about the chairs, they were the most uncomfortable things and my back did NOT pull up great after.

Retail Therapy

I've found out yet another thing about myself i never really realised...... I hate shopping in crowds. Dont get me wrong, i love shopping (when one has money to spend in the 1st place) which is what set out to do today, but the crowds just put me off!

Today was a relatively sedate day, so i thought i'd give a go what the women always rave about, "Retail Therapy". I did not expect such crowds in a shopping centre! I didnt really have anything in mind to buy, but by the time i arrived i decided i might as well get some things for summer (ie. shorts, shirts, thongs, etc) . But having to bump and grind with the others, i got sick of it and decided i'll come back during a wkday where it shld be quieter. Also, i couldnt really find anything i liked. When it comes to clothes & footwear, i pretty bloody fussy.

I did manage to pick up Fight Club DVD for 15 bucks! And yet another Ministry of Sound compilation which i'm listening to right now. But i can see the appeal of retail therapy....... :)

Quizz Time

There are appears to be number of quizzes appearing on various ppl's blogs. Here's one i picked up from somone else..... ;P QUIZ

And apparantly, I agree with with George W. Bush when it comes to presidential policies, according to this. (Thanks amie!)

Go figure. :)

Reality Check

I've come to the frightening realisation that ever since i started work again, i've got nothing much to report. Can it be that my return to mundane real working life is so boring and uneventful that i struggle to attend any occasion of importance? As i sit here trying to inform u all on something interesting or at least entertaining in my life, i realise that i have nothing to say.....

Upon reflection, if 10 hours of each day is allocated to my time at work and getting to & fro work, i guess that doesnt leave much time to do much else, when one needs about 9 hrs of sleep. Unless one sacrifices that sleep time, one cannot do much outside of work..... sigh. I think one wants to go on holiday, AGAIN.

I was reading a student's blog about how she loves her class at uni. They are a small class of 40 which spend all their time together; ie. they have all lectures and labs, etc the same and pretty much see the same faces day in, day out. She says its great how everyone gets along, supports each other, hangs out, etc, etc. And she hopes the whole 5 yrs of her uni course will be like that...... I hate to be the pessimist and burst her bubble, but i dont think so!!

My class was 30, we spent 45 contact hrs a wk together, and i think by the end of it, if we didnt see each other again, it would be too soon.:) It's takes me back, reading that blog, to a time when we were so young and innocent, where we actually believed life COULD be perfect....

Depressed?

After what has been a fairly exhaustive week, I've finally had the opportunity to have a chillout day. The return to fulltime work has been testing, in both a physical and mental capacity. I think i got thru it ok, but just dont feel too flash. I even noticed that today i had trouble putting sentences together. The wkend was also busy, with things on every nite and day. So I am glad to have a quiet one on sunday, our scheduled day of rest :)

However, a friend pointed out today i seemed different. Apparantly i even came across a little down, prompting the question,"are u depressed?" ME, depressed?? In recent times, i cant recall ever being assumed depressed. We all go thru our ups and downs, but i havent really been one for ppl to say," He looks depressed" I guess looking back at my wk and my behavior the past few days, its easy for me to come across that way. I'm really having a hard time settling into the normal rhythm of real life, after such a great wk away last wk. I find myself sometimes sitting and staring, fantasizing i was anywhere but here.....

Dont get me wrong, i love where i am, but i guess i've got no motivation to work at the moment. When i'm at work, i do my job and try my best, but if there something else available, i'd jump at that. I look fwd to walking away from work and doing the kinda stuff ppl on holiday do i guess :)

It's a bit unrealistic to do I know, sometimes i wonder why billionaires continue to work their arses off to get more money when they've got enough for them to retire comfortably! I know that if i was one, i'd be living it up, working for free when i had to, and more importantly, LIVE my life.

Political Correctness or Wrongness?

I realised how easily i can get worked up over little things. I was reading in the paper the other day about how political correctness is creeping into our children's schools. Schools are afraid to teach and present information on religious festivals, especially Christian ones, in fear of offending non-Christians.

For example, with school Christmas plays, which we all used to do, some schools have got rid of it altogether or removed the nativity scene from it. What the!? I mean come on, i think that's taking political correctness too far! Christmas aint about santa, its about jesus' birth! Why on earth arent we allowed to show it? I feel that while so-called protecting non-Christians, its become discrimatory of Christians. Afterall, Christmas is a mark of Jesus Christ's birth (hence the name CHRIST-mas) so why the heck not should we be allowed to show the nativity scene? Do non-Christians celebrate xmas holidays? I betcha they do. Therefore, if u use xmas as a holiday, then be prepared to know why you've got the bloody holiday for!!

I just cant stand it when these minority grps make big fusses about things like this, where when it is convenient for THEM, they are happy to go with it. But if they dont like a particular aspect of it, the whole world has to hear it and follow their lead. Sometimes political correctness is a load of hogwash, it's better if we are all honest with each other and TELL IT AS IT IS!

Holiday Hangover

Yes it's true. Such a thing exists. And i'm going thru it right now. And it sux :(

Ever since i got back from s'pore, i've been wanting more. I guess coz the wkend was so busy, its mainly today that reality hit me that i'm back to the old routine, back at work plodding away. Ah how i wish i was back at that tropical island, crunching away at some ice kachang...... sigh.

I returned to fulltime work today. And i am actually quite sore. The back just aint quite right yet, i really do hope it starts to improve much faster than this. Sorry, but i just dont feel like writing much more, just too hungover...........

The Singapore Diaries

I havent really had time to sit down and blog lately, as i just returned to perth on fri morning, worked saturday, while juggling the arrival of my cousins from melb. But i thought i'd better write something about s'pore b4 it becomes an all too distant memory.

Firstly, i'd like to thank the most gracious and wonderfullest host i've ever encountered, the divine Miss M. I cannot begin to thank her enough for the great time she showed me whilst i was in the sweltering heat of s'pore. She made it possible to safely say its the BEST trip i've ever made to s'pore and the BEST HOLIDAY i've had in a long, long time. I only hope that i may repay her the favour at some stage of our lives, if i can EVER get her to perth..... :P

There's so much to tell and say, but i'll keep it fairly brief. I've basically summed up all the "highlights" of my trip, and if anyone wants to know more about it, feel free to ask. I'll probably also expand on them in future blogs.

- S'pore is bloody hot, and u sweat A LOT.
- Going out everyday and night becomes very pricey.
- S'pore nightlife rocks! Where else can u get any meal u want at 3am?
- S'pore coffee is really BAD. Stick to tea.
- Its such a vibrant place, u cant help but rise to the occasion
- alcohol is damn expensive, but managed to find the cheapest bar in the place. ;)
- Eating lots of local food can be hazardous to your waistline. But its joyful torture of one's self.
- Clubbing in s'pore is an experience i enjoyed, tho i never expected to. The place is packed even on a weds nite, and EVERYONE boogies down and has a good time. I actually felt safe, not having to worry about a stray needle or gangfight breaking out!
- I LOVE my roti prata!
- Eat Ice Kachang after every meal, it will cool u down while delighting your senses.
- Shopping for others and not yourself is not very fun.

There's so much to tell, but might have to save that for next time......

Just a quick one....

I havent had much time to blog lately, as i have been away. In fact, as i sit here sweating my pores out, i am still not home, but still the sweltering singapore, sipping iced tea. It's been a blast so far, the best trip i've made to this tiny island country that i can remember. And its hugely due to my most gracious hostess, Miss M. The only downside is the recent episode of diarrhoea from the over- eating of delicious but deadly local food. Mmmm, local food. I think i'll torture myself a little more..... :) Cya back in perth soon!

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.