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!