Ryvian's Sanctuary

We Found A New Home!!

2010-10-25T01:10:00.003+08:00

We are moving from blogger to tumblr....

http://we-are-ryvian.tumblr.com

See you there....cheers!

3rd Year Anniversary

2010-09-21T00:57:00.008+08:00

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is.'''

Just a blink of an eye, and we've been together for 3 years now.

To be honest, it wasn't something that was expected due to many circumstances at that time.

She was only 18 and I was 23 - both of us were too young to commit to something which is substantially long-term and time-consuming, let alone to stick together for 3 years or more.

But we are defying the soothsayers, and today, we're both "3 years old" :)

That's us 3 years ago.....

And us....today

To be able to find someone that you can pour your hearts out, rely on and to live together each and every single day is quite an arduous task.

Most couples may clicked, but not everyone can live with your other half every day amidst the constant nagging, little disagreements and the yearning for some sort of private space for each other.

But we've made it through, unscathed...and to celebrate what we've went through so far, I think it's apt to commemorate this occasion with a small, simple gift...

I bought her a Longchamp Le Pliage tote bag as I know she's been targetting one
(and thanks to Pamela for bringing it all the way from Europe for me...cheers!)

And Vian got me something too....

A pair of Country Road canvas shoes

Thanks for being here for me throughout these 3 years.

"Love is not about finding the right person, but creating a right relationship. It's not about how much love you have in the beginning but how much love you build till the end."

And yes, we still have a lot to build....and a long way to go....let's not give up now, shall we?

~Happy Anniversary, my Dear~ xoxo

Chocolate Indulgence @ San Churro

2010-08-15T22:55:00.009+08:00

Last Sunday, we went to the famous chocolateria in Fremantle - San Churro.

We are not fine chocolate connoisseurs but we do love to have chocolates such as Cadbury bars, Ferrero Rocher and Lindt's Lindor every now and then. So, basically 'fine chocolates' are kind of an uncharted territory for us.

Our housemates, Jules and FangYu joined us and by the time we reached, there was already a line of people queuing up at the ordering counter. As a rule of thumb - a queue for food can only mean good food. :)

The place was virtually packed and luckily for us, we managed to find two vacant tables but unluckily for us, each table can only fit 3 people. And there were 5 of us (including Percy who was on her way to meet us after work).

And so, we combined both tables ala mamak-style...and Voila! It's a table for 5 suddenly.

While the girls were busy taking photos (as usual), I was busy checking for time of the match between Chelsea and Man Utd that's kicking off later that night.

And here's an artwork on the wall depicting what I believe to be the man himself, San Churro and the ailing Queen of Spain on her sickbed.

A brief research tells that San Churro was actually a Spanish monk in the 16th century. At that time, monks were being tasked to manufacture chocolates as a rare delicary for the royal family and the aristocrats.

San Churro was the head monk, and after witnessing first-hand the many miracles of chocolate including the healing of the Queen, he decided to share the recipe to the commoners and that was how chocolate eventually spread across Europe.

The menu basically listed everything that's made of chocolates. So we took quite a while to ponder what to choose from the vast selections while waiting for Percy to arrive.

And finally she arrived, with sunglasses on.

And this is her drink - Choco Loco.

And this is the main 'star' of the day - Churros with chocolate dippings (we can choose either milk, dark or white chocolate for the dippings).

I, for one, have no idea what a churro is but it sure tasted damn delicious! It's sort of like 'yau char kway' but less oily and more flour than air inside and a bit sweeter. I know that's a bad description, but you got the idea. :P

This is what Vian and I ordered for ourselves - Chocolate Fondue for two.

It has mini-churros, popcorns, strawberries, bananas, marshmellows, mini pretzels, crushed peanuts and 2 hedgehog slices.

The bad thing about the fondue was that it didn't have a candle underneath, so the chocolate wasn't too runny after a while. However, the chocolate was rich and was rather good except that I found it a tad too sweet for my liking.

We washed it all down with a glass of Chocolate Vanilla milkshake. Although it's still chocolate, but at least it's a refreshing change from the creamy and rich chocolate fondue.

All in all, I think this place deserved a 2nd visit. Not on a weekly basis, but rather as a casual indulgence occasionally. It's not everyday that our housemates and us have an outing together so usually when we go out, it's for good foods :)

And the quote on the serviette puts it aptly....

I am officially a third year student ...

2010-08-08T22:53:00.005+08:00

My first day of uni started with a lovely breakfast cooked by him. It's called soft boiled eggs with toasted soldiers and grilled sausage with salami.

It's simply delicious and get me motivated as you guys know lah...It needs a lot of effort and motivation to wake up at 7.30 on a Monday morning.

Love you to the max sayang!!~

This is why his mother always mention that I am the luckiest girl to have him - the masterchef of my heart.

I can't imagine that I am already a year three student in Murdoch University. Still remember vividly how insecure and tough when I first landed in this foreign land. Everything seems to be strange and foreign to me. If you ask me what is my toughest experience in Perth..... It is to learn to take the public transport here. I need to do some time management and to arrange my timing according to the bus timetable. It is really hard for me even until now I can't really say that I have manage my time well enough for me to catch the bus. The biggest failure ~

One more year till my graduation. Plans? I don't have one right at this moment. Not very sure what I want to be in the future and I know this will upset my dad if I tell him. Mum is always the more optimistic one. She knows that I will find my way out no matter how and had fully supported me over the years ~ I am glad that they are all here as I know that I need them more than anyone =)

Time flies. Here we go from strangers to friends..from friends to housemates ~

No one can predict what will happen in the future but I am glad that they had once came into my life.

Everyone of us have something to pursue in our lives and I am expecting to see and share the laughter that we once had again in the future when they are done with everything.

One more year to go - I will enjoy my last year being a student to the max! *Advice from the working adults*

OMEDETOU!

2010-08-07T21:18:00.003+08:00

Omedetou ! Basically it means 'congratulations' in Japanese.

Vian has finally passed her Japanese Proficiency Test (Level Four).

And she even got a tiny, miniscule 'certificate' to show. Haha!

By passing the test, she got her exam fees of AUD 60 refunded but not in cash.

Instead, she received a AUD 60 Borders gift card and we went shopping for books in the city's Borders outlet. We got ourselves 3 novels for AUD 0.55 after we utilized the gift card! :)

w00t!~

FreO with Percy

2010-07-29T20:55:00.017+08:00

Percy - friend cum housemate

Before I start mumbling about our visit to Fremantle, let me talk a little bit about Percy.

Percy is from Hong Kong and she is going back to Hong Kong soon for good. From barely knowing each other to good friends and eventually as good housemates after we moved in together, I can't say that we had went through a lot but it is the memories we shared that matter.

The feeling of knowing that she will be leaving soon is very complicated. It's happy and sad at the same time. I am so glad to know that she had finally made up her mind to go back to her country and continue pursuing her dream. It is sad as she is already part of our lives - a good friend that we can share everything with.

Goodbyes are not forever, they simply means I 'll Miss You until we meet again.

Okay!Enough with the super emo post ~

We are trying to do as much outing as we can with Percy during our winter break. Unfortunately, we (Percy and me) prefer spending our precious time rotting at home and sleeping like nobody business. Therefore Fremantle is the only place Percy and us had visited over the winter break. LOL~

Fremantle Market

We actually planned to have our lunch in one of the Japanese restaurant but the two princesses here overslept and we ended up in Fremantle around 3pm. It was a bit too late for lunch and yet too early for dinner as well.

So the three of us just wandered around and took as many pictures as we can. Taking loads of pictures are the way to capture all our memories and keep them with us forever =)

Went in to Fremantle Market and managed to snap some colourful photos. Nothing much in the market as the market is one of those tourist destination so what they sell there are just souvenirs, posters, honey and all kind of nuts ~

Squishy toy

Different colours have different names
Green - Bob
Blue - Chaz
Yellow - Lily
Purple - Stella

Ryan Ng is a gay - believe it or not?

You can customize your own bracelets with those colourful beads.

Handmade baby wear

Fruit stalls

Fruit stalls are our favourite places to drop by in the market as they have free fruit samples for us to taste. It is okay if you don't feel like buying after tasting them.
The people there are quite friendly and generous as well =)

The orange was sooooo sweet~!!Love it to the max~

Dinner time ~

Went to Pink Rice for our dinner. Pink Rice serves Japanese cuisine and they have the longest sushi train in Western Australia.

We tried a variety of the offerings on the train and the sushi was good. What we loved the most was the soft shell crab.

Chef recommended - Teppanyaki Chicken

Overall the food was good and indeed, less expensive than similar places in Perth.
A highly recommended place to dine in =)

We decided to chill at Little Creatures after our dinner. On our way there, we saw a unique bookshop. We have visited Fremantle many times in the past but had never came across this bookstore. The architecture of this bookstore itself is unique. It looks like a museum more than a bookstore.

New Edition Bookshop

Percy was fascinated by this Wonder Women address book.

Its a little bit too pricey to own it. So Percy just took a few pictures of her favourite in the address book...

~Little Creatures~

Spent our remaining night in Little Creatures with beers and laughter ...of course not forgetting the very addictive fries.

Its good to say that we feel very comfortable having each other around. Talk and share whatever we feel like and knowing that it won't leave any hard feeling between us ~ This is what good friends are for.

Perth Mint

2010-07-25T15:45:00.006+08:00

It was a day off for me last Thursday and since Vian is still having her semester break holiday, we decided to go to the city and pay a visit to Perth Mint - one of the main tourist attractions in Perth.

As you can see from the photos, it was a fine, sunny day so all the photos taken on that day have natural lighting that makes them look finer than usual. :)

After grabbing a quick lunch at Chillis, we embarked on a Red Cat bus to go to our destination.

Apparently, there were some renovation works going on that day (thus you can the bright yellow tape in the background). We only have to fork out $5 each for the guided tour instead of the usual $15 because the front block was off-limit due to the renovation.

The bronze statue behind us was that of two prospectors who first discovered gold in Kalgoorlie in 1893 and started the gold rush in Western Australia ever since.

So, while waiting for our tour to commence, we wandered around the Coin Gallery. Perth Mint is the oldest operating mint in Australia since 1896 and thus it has a vast collections of antique coins and gold bars from around the world. We were advised that camera is prohibited in both the coin and gold galleries, so there is no photo to be shown here.

Finally, our guide arrived and we were being given a mini-tour of the building and briefing about the history and operations of the mint.

This was the campfire tent that was used by the prospectors who traveled by foot across hundreds of kilometres to Kalgoorlie since 1890's to try their luck at striking gold. Many of them died on their journey due to dehydration and diseases.

For those who made it, there was no guarantee that they'll be able to find any gold, so a lot of them died too due to depression and stress (okay, I made that up =P)

Vian was holding the 'Golden Eagle' nugget - one of the largest gold nuggets ever mined in Australia. It weighed 35 kgs and was named the Golden Eagle because it resembles the shape of its namesake. The person who discovered it soon sell it off and bought himself a hotel and named it the Golden Eagle Hotel.

However, we ain't see nothing yet until this....

THE. MOTHER. OF. ALL. GOLD. NUGGETS.!!

This is the mother of all the gold nuggets. I forgot what it was named but if you look closely, it actually resembles the continent of Australia.

Every prospectors who saw the huge gold nugget soon started to dig deeper and quicker, hoping they will strike similar jackpot, if not bigger. More and more immigrants started to flow in from across the world during the gold rush in Kalgoorlie and soon after, the number of immigrants in Australia far outweighed the number of ex-convicts that were sent here from Britain.

Vian asked me "Dear, the gold nuggets are real one ah?"

I replied her, "You look around here, are there any security guards or fences or not?"

She said : "No wor..."

Me : "Then you say real or not leh?" DUH!

Vian : "..................."

We then waited til 4 p.m. for the gold pour demonstration. Sadly, camera is off-limit as well in the hall, so no photo was taken.

A gold bar was placed in a crucible and was left to burn and melt in a furnace. The furnace was burning at around 1000 degrees Celcius as it was the melting point of gold. We can really felt the heat eminating from the furnace as we sat several feets away from it.

The worker then took out the burning crucible and pour the gold liquid into a cast and it was left to cool and solidified for about 3 minutes - just enough time for the worker to remove his safety goggle and fireproof clothing. Then, he submerged the cast into a tank of cold water for about 1 minute and..Voila! A 24 carat (99.9% purity) gold bar has just been created! Too bad the gold bar was worth about $400,000 so it's impossible for it to be passed around and to let us have a feel of it. =(

At the end of the demonstration, a security guard was waiting at the side exit. The guy who showed us the gold pour said that he will be escorted to the office each time at the of his demonstration, so that the gold bar that can be weighed and verified. If the weight of the bar doesn't tally with that in the record, he will be without a job tomorrow. If it tallies, then we can all come back tomorrow at 10 a.m. and listen and watch him repeating the same thing all over again. LOL

There is a self-operating minting machine near the exit. For a mere $2, you can mint your own coin and have it as a token of souvenir.

My mistake was to remove the coin too soon with my hand, and that is why the fingerprints are visible on the surface of the coin. Sigh~

We took a stroll around the city somemore before catching our bus home at the Wellington Station.

Everywhere we went that day, there was this news headlines stating 'Masterchef Relegates Election Debate'. The nation will be helding their federal election on 21 August, and the new Premier Julia Gillard has decided to seek fresh mandate from the people (unlike our *cough* Na *cough* Jib).

But, the reality show Masterchef has taken over the country by storm and there is nothing to stop the viewers from catching the Grand Finale episode this Sunday. NOT EVEN A LIVE ELECTION DEBATE between the PM and the Opposition Leader.

So, politics has to take a back seat and rescheduled their election debate to 4.30 p.m. today as not to coincide with Masterchef finale that will be showing at 7.30 p.m.

I will be rooting for Adam - the guy that looks like a samurai - because he is a MALAYSIAN!!

Day's Out @ Perth City..Finally!

2010-07-07T01:10:00.006+08:00

As you guys may have probably known, the World Cup can really consume a great deal of time off your daily schedule; not to mention the amount of energy it consumed to stay awake at 2.30 in the morning almost daily to watch the more interesting matches on telly.

Thus, the 3 days break before the Semi Finals provide us with a welcome break to finally get back to our normal life. It's time for football to take a back seat, and to spend some quality time with the GF instead.

We both had a sudden cravings for Malaysian food and chicken rice in particular the previous day. So we woke up early (early as in 11 a.m.) and took the bus to the City. It is winter season now in Perth, and even in broad daylight we still feel the chill right down to the spine. At night, it can get even worse as the daily night temperature rarely exceeded 2 degrees Celsius.

There is this Malaysian restaurant smacked right in the heart of Perth CBD that serves reasonably delicious and economically-priced foods.

We reached there around 1.15 p.m. and not surprisingly, there was a good queue of people lining up for some cheap, delicious Malaysian fare.

Vivian ordered the Garlic Roasted Chicken Rice, as it's the closest semblance to our usual chicken rice back in Malaysia that you can possible get here.

I've tried the chicken rice before, so I ordered Roast Chicken but with noodles instead.

It looks really tempting upclose and the chicken was great and never disappoint as usual. However, the noodles were a bit bland and soggy - which wasn't exactly to my liking.

Anyway, the total meal cost us A$ 12.00 which is something you don't usually get here as a plate of Nasi Lemak can easily cost you A$ 10.00 (not to mention there is no 'santan' in the Aussie's version of Nasi Lemak...*Huge sigh*)

Later on, we wandered around the city to burn off the calories. =)

There is a new Apple store that just opened in the city and it looked pretty inviting. We went inside and took the opportunity to try out the new Apple iPad. It's a cool gadget, something like a bigger version of an iPhone and so I don't see myself owning one anytime soon since my iPhone pretty much perform the same tasks for me. But for those using Blackberries, perhaps iPad is the ideal complement to compensate for what the iPhone has and the Blackberry is lacking.

We also went to an Oriental groceries shop in Northbridge and it's possibly the biggest one I've ever been into. They have an impressive array of all things Asians and we were excited to find that they actually sell Salted Fish as we've been looking for it for a very long time yet to no avail.

One thing about Oriental supermarket is that their owners or cashiers aren't really friendly. They always seemed to be annoyed when you're paying for your stuffs at the counter, rather than looking happy and friendly that someone actually contributing to their overheads! Perhaps it is an 'Asian thing' as well? Hmm...

It's Winter..

2010-06-30T22:56:00.006+08:00

It is freaking cold here in Perth right now. I am wondering..."Will Perth snow one day"? I hope it will..at least before I leave.

World Cup fever. I am one of those 'abandoned girlfriends" due to this World Cup =(

Facebook is full of World Cup updates. By reading those updates, I don't see the need for me to watch it unless there are these hot guys playing such as Kaka and David Villa, then different stories lah..LOL

If you guys follow my facebook status few weeks ago, I wrote about me being sick of steamboat after 2 days of having it.

It was too spicy and this caused me serious sore throat. It was not only me, the rest of them had either sore throat or ulcer.

But it is still the best steamboat in town =) Thanks Iris for cooking. Iris is from China and I guess her 'ma la' steamboat is the authentic version of chinese steamboat.

This is the chef of the night - Iris. She did all the preparations. From chopping to washing and from washing to cooking.

Well done Iris~ We appreciated it a lot.

It looked spicy and certainly smelt fragrant.

and finally the soup base for the steamboat.

It's World Cup season and this explained why the tv was there. Ryan moved the tv from our room to the dinning area just to watch World Cup.

Oh ya, did I mention that we have a special guest all the way from Mandurah? He is Ali. Percy's coursemate. A funny guy that gets along well with my brother.

Ali is the one with the cap. Ali and my brother met each other for the 1st time yet they talked to each other as if they know for a very long period of time. Cool!

As predicted, guys were busy watching World Cup while the girls were busy talking to each other.

It was such a great night with great people around.

There were a lot of leftovers and we had steamboat again the very next day,

And now I am so sick of steamboat after we have had it for four times this month.

Dear Dad

2010-06-20T18:21:00.005+08:00

Dear Daddy,

Happy Father's Day.

A dad is a person who is loving and kind,
and often he knows what you have on your mind.
He is someone who listens, suggests and defends.

A dad can be one of your very best friends.
He is proud of your triumphs,
but when things go wrong,
a dad can be patient, helpful and strong.

He is my dad. There is always a place for him deep inside my heart.
Each year passes, I am more glad, grateful and proud just to call him my dad.

Thank you, Dad...for everything.
You are my SUPERMAN!!

Germany 4 Australia 0

2010-06-14T21:43:00.003+08:00

So far, the most exciting game in the on-going World Cup 2010 was the match between Australia and Germany - which yielded 4 goals.

It was a very one-sided affair, with the Socceroos allowed the Germans to do most of the talking on the pitch. Now, we know that the Aussies were outplayed totally and so they must find a solution to improve on their performance right?

Forget about change of tactical formation or infusion of young, new players into the team.

This is what I propose for the Aussies......

...........................................

............................

...............

.......

Confirm sure win !! :P

No more exam for now..

2010-06-12T22:33:00.010+08:00

No more exam till the next semester =)

My last paper "Environmental Politics" was terrible. No past year questions available, no hints from the lecturer. NO NO NO...and I went into the examination hall with nothing in my brain. I will never forget the moment I flipped the 1st page of my exam paper.

The person sitting beside me was like " What the fuck?!" and this happened before I actually look at the questions =(

I did study for this paper but you know..since there were no past year papers available therefore I really don't know what to expect..

Luckily, I managed to answer 7 questions out of 8.
I anyhow just wrote down what I think is relevant without checking weather it make sense.

*Finger crossed*

Enough for the exam part... Lets see what I've done for the past 2 days~

Went to this famous Korean restaurant "Took Beki" in the city right after my housemate finished her last paper.

It is one of our favourite place to dine.

They serve all the usual Korean standards, barbecue dishes and soups.

Seafood Pancake

Seafood (Handmade)Noodle Soup

Spicy Beef Bulgogee

Went Fremantle the next day =) Its been a long time since we went to Fremantle.

Walked and shopped around FreO ~ Did some retail therapy =) Took some photos as if we were tourists. After 2 years staying here in Perth, now only I realized the buildings here in Freo are quite old. LOL. Don't ask me the names of the those building. I have no idea at all.

Behind us was a church I guess..Any idea?

Can see from the picture that the sky was a bit gloomy. It seemed like it was going to rain.

Our last stop before heading to Kaili(Fish and Chips) was Fremantle Market. A place full of food and fruits. Its only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. A place where you can get really fresh fruits and vegetables. Its especially cheaper on 4 to 5 pm as they are closing.

Love their super sweet strawberries. They are usually sell at 10 bucks for 3 boxes. But if you go around 4 to 5 pm, you can get 3 boxes for only 6 bucks =)

WA Honey Spokeperson - ViVian

Behind Ryan was the wet market where they sell fruits and vegetables.

Had our dinner at Kailis Fish and Chips.

WA's fish and chips are very well known..but unfortunately I don't see whats the hype about it. The fish and chips that they served here are pretty oily and pricey.

and

The Austrlian version of Fish and chips = "Chips more than Fish"

Fish and Chips

But surprisingly, the fish and chips we had turn out to be much more better compare to the previous time we came. I guess is because it was a weekday and there were less customer therefore better quality control =)

Fish and Squids

We spent the rest of the night bitching, gossiping, chit-chatting or whatever you called it. It was a great day with great company =)

Dear housemates,
Have a safe trip back to Singapore =) Will see you guys next semester.

Little Creatures

2010-06-12T01:52:00.006+08:00

We went to this little brewery in Fremantle called 'Little Creatures' with our housemates last weekend.

Although beers are dirt cheap in OZ, we seldom go drinking as we're Asians (so we're more inclined to drink bubble teas =P) A can of beer costs around $1 here, while a cup of bubble tea will set you back $4.50. So it's a no-brainer really, but still most Asians prefer bubble tea over beer anytime. =)

Our Miss Percy and Vian posing in front of mirror before heading out...

Colorful lighting decorations that create just the right atmosphere
for a tittle-tattle over ice cold beers

As per the usual customs here, we have our passports checked to ensure that we're of legal drinking age before being allowed into the premises. It was kinda troublesome, but I was pretty happy about it because it shows that I might not look that old after all ! =)

They're at it again....

The two-paged menu that basically lists out everything that they have to offer

This microbrewery not only brews their own beer, but also houses a cafe/restaurant in the building itself - which makes it a pretty cool place to hang out and enjoy drinks with friends.

Their house specialties include Little Creatures' Pale Ale, Amber Ale, Bright Ale and Pilsner.

I ordered the signature Pale Ale....

which is among the best beers that WA has to offer....

Our table consists of 2 pale ales, a bright ale, a white wine, and a 'lemon, lime & bitters'...guess which is whose?

Taste wise, the pale ale was pretty smooth, and kinda refreshing with a slight hint of bitterness in it. The Aussies certainly know how to brew their own beers, mate!

Our group photo - taken by the affable waiter

The night was quite chilly, and luckily everyone was decked in their winter clothes...

Except probably for this two....

Skirt and thin fabric top....very 'warming'..LOL

Of course beer has to be accompanied by something to be munched on...like finger foods....or pizza?

The Australia's Masterchef-inspired 'Rocket and Sour Cream Pizza'

The whole nation is gluing to the TV screen everyday at 7.30pm for Masterchef - the most addictive (and hunger-provoking) reality show here! And that, I think is what inspired this rocket leaves' pizza since one of the contestants mistakenly created it in the show.

The customers kept pouring in as time passed by...

Bryan told us that the view at the rear of the building was better, so we changed our table to the rear - facing the sea.

And did I mentioned about the fries? Little Creatures basically serves the best fries in town!

The fries were thick-cut types, but weren't soggy at all, as it was crispy and well-seasoned, and with the potato skins on. We just couldn't stop helping ourselves bowl after bowl of this 'fantastic-super-addictive-fries'.

We drank until almost 11 something and then we decided to go Burswood. Just to check out the casino as it's been almost a year since we last went there with Vian's friends when they were here on vacation.

The photos that were taken there turned out quite blur except those taken with flash. Perhaps it was the lighting, or maybe it's the alcohol-effect. =P

The inside of the casino changed quite a bit since the last time we were there. Now, they have a special room for Texas Hold'em Poker, and Vian and I enjoyed watching those players and trying to figure out what cards they're holding based on the tell-tale signs. And our guesses turned out to be quite accurate. Maybe it's time to try a hand or two ourselves the next time we're there again. Haha =)

Hint Hint

2010-06-03T23:46:00.002+08:00

Dear Ryan Ng,

If you don't know what to get for me on my birthdays, our anniversary, Christmas or whatever hari besar.....

This is the hint >>>>>>>>

TADAH~~~~~!

I know that you don't know where to get this.. Plus Perth don't have Ralph Lauren =(

Anyway, i saw this online on the Ralph Lauren website *biggest hint* ..hehe... I think you can get it online =P

Thanksss ya my dear *in advance*~~

Love,
ViV

World War III

2010-06-01T00:20:00.004+08:00

And that is the 'battlefield' in our room right now. General Vivian is in her element dictating the war strategies.

Complete with "military food supply" (i.e. Smith's Original potato chips). =P

Mama Kopitiam @ Perth

2010-05-29T20:11:00.009+08:00

Finally a new kopitiam has opened in Perth and we were invited as guest at the pre-launch feast. Thanks to Fangyu and her aunt, Serene. This kopitiam belongs to one of Aunt Serene's friend.

Although there is a lot of chinese restaurant around Perth but it is really hard to find kopitiam like this. The Oldtown kopitiam that is everywhere back in Malaysia is our all time favourite.

Nasi Lemak Special, Curry laksa, Ipoh Chicken Horfun, Penang Lum mee, Omega soft-boil egg are what we miss the most after staying in Australia. By discovering this new kopitiam in Perth, at least we can satisfy our craving as the menu is quite similar to the one in Oldtown Kopitiam=)

We got to taste a few dishes in the menu such as Nasi Lemak, Sambal Sotong, Rendang Mutton, Hokkien Mee, Char Kuey Teow and Homemade fried chicken etc etc~

The photo above doesn't do justice to that actual food that we've tasted. It is quite delicious though =)

The atmosphere there has a very Malaysianised feeling. It was very busy and noisy as you can hear everyone speaking the familar slang of lah~le~lo~.... It was just like the typical neighbourhood kopitiam that we frequented in Klang =)

From now onwards we know where to go whenever we have cravings for Oldtown Kopitiam while we are here at Perth =)

The Story of A Sailor (Almost)

2010-05-20T03:36:00.008+08:00

I'm away from Perth again. For the first time this year. Separated again, albeit for only 12 days.

Sometimes, when being apart has became such a routine and getting repetitive each year, you'll grown used to it or you'll even anticipate it when you know the time of the year is just lurking around the corner.

Somehow in this case, it wasn't to be. The melancholic feeling never fails to accompany me whenever it's time to bid farewell for a short trip abroad.

It's been 8 days since the day I last saw her. I could still see the last image of her clearly - the way she looked at me when we hugged outside the airport, before seeing her getting further and further away from me, driving away in that maroon Kia.

For 8 days, we've been keeping in touch via sms, phone, skype, facebook, MSN and every means possible. But the one thing that been keeping me alive every night was the emails that she's been sending to me every single day. I replied her, and hope that my emails will give her the same joy that it gave me, every morning.

Love is like the wind, you can't see it but you can feel it all over.

8 days apart. And I'd dream about her 3 times.

I'm glad to know that her image is still very much intact in my mind, but dreaming about someone you missed so much without able to see her physically is tough.

The hardest part about dreaming of someone you love is having to wake up.

And imagine that it happened 3 times. In 8 days.

Looking at my own predicament, it sort of remind me about sailors.

I've always admired sailors and their families. I mean, it's never easy to be working in the middle of the vast ocean where apart from your fellow crews and the ship that you're on, there is basically no interaction with the other people and any sort of civilization.

To make things even more unbearable, it is understood that sailors usually work at the sea for few months intermittently. That means having to part with your loved ones for 4-5 months, and only get to see them once or twice a year.

Considering the above, I consider myself to be lucky enough that I only need to be away for a few weeks once or twice every year.

On the bright side, it will be 4 days more, before I get to see her again. I don't know how will I feel when I see her at airport next Monday.

I don't anticipate and prepare myself on how to feel for that day. I'll just let the human nature and the innate feeling to take its own course.

One thing I've learned is this....

Missing someone gets easier everyday because even though you're one day further from the time you last saw her, you are one day CLOSER to the time you will.

And that...

is what keeps me hanging on - each and every single day, without her by my side.

Our First Newborn - Baked Cheesecake

2010-05-08T21:33:00.007+08:00

Since living in Perth, I have been learning how to cook from scratch. Thanks to a recipe booklet given by my mum, I have transformed from a "Maggi-mee student" into a home cook capable of dishing up some pretty decent dishes on the dining table.

However, baking was really foreign to me. It's like you've learned how to swim (cook), and now you try to learn how to dive (bake) instead. It's a different ball game altogether but since it was a mundane weekend, Vian and Percy decided to join me to bake a cheesecake.

We decided on the Baked Blueberry Cheesecake but chose to leave out the blueberry as we are not a big fan of blueberry. What we wanted was only the CHEESEcake!

So we went shopping for the ingredients in the afternoon - digestive biscuits, unsalted butter, cream cheese, whipping cream and a baking tray.

We already have the kitchen scale and spatula at home, so it's all system go!

First of all, melting and whipping the solid cream cheese into cream-like texture.

In order to melt the cream cheese, we have to 'water-bath' it (placing a tray of hot water under the mixing bowl). Unbestknown to me, whipping can be such an arduous task as it really sucks a lot of energy from all that crushing, whipping and balancing the bowl. Percy and me have to take turns to do the whipping. No easy task, I tell you.

At the same time, Vian was crushing the digestive biscuits into fine crumbles......

to be used as the cake base...

After about 20 minutes of whipping the cheese cream and folding it with sugar, eggs, and butter, it's done. A smooth creamy texture that was ready to be made into delicious cheesecake.

Pouring the cake mixture on top the base.

After that, the mixture was put into the oven and let it sit on 'water-bath' for 30 minutes or so at 180 degrees.

It was a nervy moment waiting for the cake as we were wondering whether it will come out perfect or it might be disastrous, or worse burnt! It was like waiting for your first newborn and you are wondering whether it will be a boy or girl, and will he be perfectly healthy. :P

But LO and BEHOLD....

TA-DAAAA!!

Our first cheesecake - SUCCESS! (The tiny holes in the middle were the result of poking the cake halfway during baking to test the inside texture).

Apart from the uneven shape (due to my inept skill at lining the baking sheet), it was considered a success.

Not to mention the sinfully delicious taste of the rich, creamy cheese and butter.

It was a fun experience actually as all three of us were having fun multitasking in preparing the cake mixture. Obviously, this isn't going to be the last attempt at baking - because no cake tastes better than your own handmade!

Now I can proudly add baking to my cooking repertoire! =)

My iPhone 3Gs

2010-04-25T18:25:00.004+08:00

I am not known for my tech-geekiness nor my penchant for sophisticated electronic gadgets.

I guess that was the reason why I have been loyal to my reliable Sony Ericsson w850i for almost 4 years now. In terms on functionality, the SE w850i performed decently with its 2.0 megapixels rear camera, a front camera, 3G compliance, and the slide screen which I loved.

I'm also against the notion of changing phone every now and then because of the inconvenience associated with transferring contacts details and multimedia files (photos, videos, notes etc).

As much as I tried to hang on to it, my phone eventually failed on me. I tend to get the frustrating 'White Screen of Death" staring back at me on my phone almost on a daily basis.

Thus, it's time to upgrade to a new phone, and it has been long overdue perhaps.

Initially, it was a toss-up between iPhone and Blackberry. I took it upon myself to conduct some online research on the pros and cons between the two, besides asking for opinions from my iPhone and BB users friends. The general consensus was that iPhone is more like a 'fun and application-packed phone' while the BB is more business-savvy and the advantage of BBM (Blackberry Messenger) where you can text anyone who has a BB for free.

Eventually, i decided on iPhone 3Gs. Reasons being, it is more sleek-looking and I dig the countless Apps that can be downloaded and installed Apple's Apps Store. I have tried using Vian's Nokia E71 (which is pretty similar to BB) and found the keypad not to my liking, despite most of the people I've asked vouched for BB's keypad compared to iPhone's touch-pad.

The box consists of the phone, a charger, a set of earphones, instructions booklet, and a charger socket. I opted for 32GB rather than 16GB, because I foresee that I might need some extra space for my photos and videos, and I wouldn't want to risk not having the memory upgrading option.

This was my first purchase of Apple's product, and man, am I impressed already!

Holding the iPhone in my hand, it felt exactly just like the way it looked - sleek, slim, and obviously much better looking than my bulky w850i (which is can be an eyesore since it tend to make my pant's pocket look bulky and fat).

The touch-screen was particularly sensitive and there was no problem whatsoever for a first-timer like me.

The only annoyance I faced is with the touch keypad. I had tapped on the wrong keys for more than 20 times in the first 5 minutes that I tried to familiarize myself with it.

However, I found a solution to that. In order to familiarize myself with the keypad, I painstakingly copied all my contacts one-by-one by keying them into my new phone.

At the end of this torturous task, I've managed to get a good hold of the keypads and even managed to type a full message without an error! There is no shortcut to success, INDEED! =)

This was my first purchase of accessories for my new phone. The phone case set came with a screen protector, a crystal-like casing, a phone stand, and a pouch. Pretty good deal considering it only cost AUD 19.00.

I have been having a helluva time playing with my new phone. Within the first day, I've downloaded more than 90 applications and slowly, it has become a fixture in my life.

I found it to be more convenient than my laptop, and now I tend to surf the Net, stream Youtube videos, update my Facebook, and even checking Manchester United score on the comfort of my bed rather than spending hours sitting in front of my laptop. =)

Goodnight, Beautiful

2010-04-24T02:18:00.003+08:00

Now you know where Dorothy Koomson got her book's cover art idea from.

Wonder if we can claim for royalty for each book sold eh?

Dim Sum on a Weekend

2010-04-18T18:50:00.008+08:00

Weekend loomed and so our housemates decided to have a dim sum breakfast feast at Northbridge, Perth.

Dim sum is a luxury here and thus, we were naturally pretty upbeat about it.

Percy, FangYu, Vian and I departed from home around 11 a.m. and met up with Jess along the way as we switched from bus to train to get to the city.

Fang Yu - who has a camera-sensor behind her head - on board the train

It was a sunny day and everyone were decked out in their stylish sunnies.

We were supposed to meet Kason in the city but he couldn't make it, so eventually it will only be the 5 of us.

Dragon Palace Chinese Restaurant

Vian, Jess, FangYu and Percy (M'sia, HK, Sin, HK)

There was quite a queue outside the restaurant by the time we arrived and so we took some photos while biding our time.

10 mins or so later, we were called and were led to the 1st floor where I supposed the KTV lounge is located. 3 big plasma screens adorned the wall where the local ang mohs and Asians alike were seemingly indulging in scrumptious dim sum selections.

BBQ Pork Bun

Har Gao (Prawn Dumpling)

We were being seated on a huge rectangular table and it was almost impossible to have a decent conversation as Vian and I were seated at one end while the 3 of them were at the other end.

Not to mention the noise from the crowd almost drowned out every spoken word.

Fluffy Egg Tarts...with Polo Bun at the background

Char Leung (Yau Char Kueh wrapped in Cheong Fun)

After a hearty brunch, it's time to do some workout a.k.a. shopping in the city.

Window shopping mostly around Perth CBD - along Hay Street and Murray Street.

The high end of Hay St - luxury brands area

We were sauntering and then went into Myer's departmental store.

Was delighted to find that Ralph Lauren was having Sale with discount up to 30%. But was quickly disappointed that the cuttings and fits of the shirts were mostly two sizes larger - even for me! Imagine a S-sized shirt looking more like a XL shirt. Utter disappointed! Sigh...

Nevertheless, Vian managed to bought some tops and clothes so we didn't really went back empty-handed.

With Mother's Day and Father's Day approaching, perhaps it's time to set some money aside to buy gifts for our parents back home. Too bad that the Sale only lasted until this Sunday.

We spent the rest of the day shopping, strolling, taking photos, reading magazines in Borders, until the sun almost set.

Vian loved the scenery above when the sun is setting so she asked me to take a picture of her.
We later regrouped with FY, Percy and Jess before heading home.

Weekend in Perth is more of a luxury rather than a routine.

I'll Be The Greatest Fan

2010-04-15T05:31:00.006+08:00

The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful
Stop me and steal my breath.
And emeralds from mountains thrust toward the sky
Never revealing their depth.
Tell me that we belong together,
Dress it up with the trappings of love.
I'll be captivated,
I'll hang from your lips,
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above.

I'll be your crying shoulder,
I'll be love's suicide
I'll be better when I'm older,
I'll be the greatest fan of your life.

And rain falls angry on the tin roof
As we lie awake in my bed.
You're my survival, you're my living proof.
My love is alive - not dead.
Tell me that we belong together.
Dress it up with the trappings of love.
I'll be captivated,
I'll hang from your lips,
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

I'll be your crying shoulder,
I'll be love's suicide
I'll be better when I'm older,
I'll be the greatest fan of your life.

Love,
Ryan - xoxo -

You've just made my day

2010-04-10T18:28:00.004+08:00

10/04/2010

Dear, I love your surprises and the way you make me happy~

Was very busy with my studies recently. Stressed out and kinda demotivated.

I am lucky to have him by my side, supports me when I am about to fall......Stay with me throughout the ups and downs...

Most importantly, he will never fails to make me smile ~

I received this very simple animated email from him few weeks ago. I realized that I had neglected him for a while due to my super busy routine.

He noticed that I was moody for the past few weeks. He knew that something was bothering me although I kept everything to myself.

I know that I am always the lucky one.......
I've no need to worry what to eat for dinner everyday because I know he will definitely cook something for me.. I've no need to worry that my essays are out of topic because he is the one who will read through every of my essay before the submission.

Things could not be any better than having YOU in my life.

A Fine Day @ Cottesloe Beach

2010-03-30T00:26:00.022+08:00

30/3/10

This is the first post in the new blog template as we've decided to revert from the previous template to something more minimalist and has a cleaner feel to it.

Honestly, I'm particularly proud of it as I edited the header image myself, and kinda satisfied with the final piece of artwork. =)

And so, back to the topic of today's entry. Two weeks ago, on a sunny Saturday, we both decided to hit the beach - and Cottesloe Beach was the chosen destination.

Equipped with backpacks, iPod, novel, towel, sunglasses, and sunblock lotion - we're all set to go!

Before heading to the beach, we bought a Whopper Set Meal from Hungry Jack's (Aussie's Burger King). Couldn't help it, since I was really hungry that morning and we were rushing earlier, so no time for breakfast at home.

On our way to the beach by train, we passed by the Fremantle port where a massive ship was spotted at the dock. Apparently, it was the RMS Queen Mary 2 - the largest, widest and tallest passanger ship ever built. Throngs and throngs of visitors lined up to have a look inside this monstrous ocean liner.

Not long after, we've reached Cottesloe station. The weather's sunny and kinda windy, which is just perfect for a day out at the beach!

We then waited at the train station for the Cott-Cat shuttle bus to ferry us to the beach. The good thing about the shuttle was that it's FOC. Although the bus was rather old-school, but since it's free, we have totally no qualm whatsoever!

2 mins later, we spotted a white sandy strip along the bluish sea from the bus. An unmistakable feeling told me that this must be it - the Cottesloe Beach!

There was a good crowd at the beach. People from all walks of life - young, old, men, women, children, Asian, Australian, blondes, brunettes - were seemingly having a good time under the sun.

Amidst the crowd, our first task was to hunt for a good place. And we found one, almost instantaneously. And so, it's time to spread the beach towels, apply the sunblock, plug on the iPod, take off the shirt, lay down, and let the sun deliver its Vitamin D to us.

We then hit the sea and had a great time soaking ourselves in the surprisingly cold water. Who would have thought that the sea still able to maintain its temperature despite the scorching sun.

Since I'm not a good swimmer nor surfer, I just soaked myself under water while letting the waves hit me. Knowing Vian, she really enjoyed playing with water. If possible, she'll prefer to live in water rather than on land. And I obviously is the total opposite in this aspect, since I have motion sickness and a day at the sea will make me dizzy and unwell. =P

After almost half an hour at the water, we retreated to the shore.

As I was about to lie down again, I asked Vian "Do you think I should apply sunblock on my face?"

She replied "No need 1 lah..."

So I lied down, with my right side facing the sun as I was enjoying the breeze while listening to the iPod.

After spending about 2 hours at the beach, it's time to go back. Not exactly back to Kardinya, since we have to meet up with Percy and Fangyu at Fremantle for fish and chips.

We packed up, with my Whooper still intact (somehow I've forgotten about the hunger when we reached the beach) in my backpack. Plus, we're gonna have fish and chips at Freo, so I might as well save the burger for dinner. Yeah, we're somewhat "living on a shoestring". =)

We took train back to Fremantle, and from there we took bus to the harbour as FangYu and Percy were waiting to meet us there. Usually it takes only about 10 minutes from Freo train station to reach the fishing harbour.

But on that day, we both were trapped in traffic jam (which was unheard of in Freo) and it took us almost 1 hour to reach our destination. Apparently, there was some sort of a carnival held in Freo that caused the massive jam in the usually free-flowing port city.

Three bad girls with tattoos - don't pray pray

Finally, we're able to have our seafood fix at Kailis' Fish Market.

It's time to say goodbye to Cottesloe, but we'll be returning for sure. But not before I've recovered from the partial sunburn on half of my face. Thanks to Vian's expert advice!! (sigh, I should've known better) =P

Hail - Perth's Answer to Snow

2010-03-23T16:14:00.004+08:00

22/3/10 - It was raining heavily outside in the evening, and I was on my laptop ignoring the the torrerntial downpour.

Then I heard a loud thud on the roof. I let it go as I assumed that it must have been caused by the heavy droplets of rain.

5 mins later I heard another thud - this time coming from the window. Then followed by another few loud thuds, as if someone was pelting stone at the tempered glass windows. But who could have been so uncivilized?

As I peered outside, I was dumbfounded and partly amazed.

It was raining hail in Perth! No, it's not just raining hail - it's a Hailstorm!

Dozens and dozens of wrist-sized ice fallen from the sky, accompanied by the torrential rain and the deafening thunder.

It's the first time that I've witnessed hail ever since I came to Perth about 2 years ago. Perhaps this is the Aussie's answer to snow, but in a rockier, less fun kind of way.

About 15 minutes into the hailstorm, the broadband connection had gone haywire. I couldn't seem to load any page at all and was left fuming.

A good 20 minutes later, the electricity supply was cut off. I thought the lightning has caused the supply to tripped, but no - apparently, Western Power's substations were hit by the hailstorm and more than 150,000 homes in Perth were left without electricity.

Taking a good look at my house, I found a leaked roof in the dining hall. It must have crumbled under sheer weight and pressure of the hail stones. And so, we were treated with an unenviable situation at home - a leaked ceiling, no electricity and a soaking wet carpet (not to mention the musky smell that came from it). Thanks Mr. Hailstorm!!

Coincidentally, Vian and I had had an appointment with Pamela (my ex-colleague who's now with Singapore Airlines) for dinner that night. Yeah, off all days!

All of us were starving like mad yet the bus only arrived after a good 1 hour wait under the rain and in total darkness (apart from the intermittent headlamps of cars passing by). I was practically cursing under the rain until the damn bus finally arrived.

Finally, we made it to the city and met up with Pam. It's been almost 2 years since we last met and naturally, there were a lot of catching up to do over a nice, warm Korean dinner (and yeah, it's a tribute to Park Ji Sung who scored the winning goal for Man Utd the day before!!). =)

We had a good chat and soon, we bid farewell to each other.

We returned home to total darkness, but thankfully the electricity was restored just after midnight. It was a huge relief, or else we will lament over how we gonna spent the night!

My Love, My Valentine

2010-03-07T00:19:00.004+08:00

"Love may not make the world go around, but I miss admit that it makes the ride worthwhile." Sean Connery

For the first time in my life, the Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day fell on the same day.

It doesn't caused a problem for us as we don't celebrate Valentine's Day in the morning or afternoon. But it actually bother us a bit as most of the shops were closed on that day :(

Ryan was not feeling well on the first day of Chinese New Year aka Valentine's Day. He slept through the whole afternoon without visiting any of his relative.

At first, I thought that he had not plan for this Valentine's Day as he didn't mention anything about it. So I just kept quiet and silently hope that he will give me a big surprise. LOL

Then at around 6pm, he went shower and asked me to get ready. He told me that we are going somewhere for dinner :) DENG!!!! Here comes the surprise. I was actually very excited but I acted like I don't really care..LOL

He brought me to this spanish bar and restaurant which located in Jaya One.

Ryan had made a reservation few days ago. But you know what?...We have the whole restaurant by ourselves. Jaya One was extremely quiet on that day due to Chinese New Year. Most of the shops were closed.

We both ordered the Valentine's Day set dinner. It comes with a four course meal -soup, starter, main course of your choice and dessert.

Mushroom soup, Soft shell crab. Grilled Lamb chop and Chulo sundae for me.
Onion Soup, Caesar Salad, Seafood Paella and Tiramisu for him.

Overall the food was okay except for the mushroom soup. It tasted so weird :(

Pressie time. He surprised me <3 Again I thought that he didn't prepare anything for me. My bad!!!! As you guys know we have been in this relationship for almost 3 years. Sometimes both of us tend to neglect those little tiny romantic stuff. But I am so glad that he is still willing to make an afford to surprise me every now and then.

I love You dear and I totally love the way you pampered me. Muackssss~

His mum told me that he wrapped all pressies by his own. It was kinda touch when I came across that he spent almost the whole night wrapping it by his own. Wrapped then unwrapped then wrapped again to make them look perfect.

Received an Esprit sunglasses, A box of my favourite chocolates and A photo frame with our photos on it. Thanks dear!

"As we grow older together, As we continue to change with age. There is one thing that will never change..I will always keep falling in love with you.." Karen Clodfielder

Farewell My friend

2010-02-12T00:18:00.005+08:00

" No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth. "

One of my besties, Sim Yee had left for Sunderland last week.

Both of us went KLIA to send her off~

Know Sim Yee for almost 10 years and I can tell everyone that I am the world most luckiest person to have her as my best friend.

I miss those days when I get to see her every morning in class. Yup, we were in the same class from primary 4 to 6 then both of us got into the same secondary school. Stucked in the same class again when we were in Sec 4 and 5.

Dear Sim Yee,

You came into my life unexpectedly and everything took a turn for the better. Your warm eyes, your laugh, the sincere way you speak and the kindness you showed me had became a part of my life.

The feeling of sending you off was so complicated. You will be far far away from me. I can't call you out for our yumcha session. I can't call you out for our KTV session. You are not here to celebrate my 21st birthday =( How sad?!!!

Anyway, always keep in mind that goodbyes are not forever, they simply means I 'll Miss You until we meet again.

Take good care sweetie pie. I hope you will do well in UK. We are all expecting you to come back when you're done with everything and resume your place in our lives.

XoXo.

Love,
Vi Vian

Malacca on A Saturday

2010-02-10T01:37:00.013+08:00

It has been a long time since we last update our version of Cuti-Cuti Malaysia travelogue. In this entry, we'll show you some interesting places and foods that are found in Malacca - the historic state of Malaysia.

We found time to visit Malacca since we're having our break, and the journey from Klang took us about 2 hours by car. Malacca is the quintessential historic state for it has rich history ranging from the founding of the Sultanate of Malacca, the colonizations Portuguese and Dutch, to eventual annexation to British before becoming part of current day Malaysia.

Legend has it that the name Melaka was chosen by the first Sultan of Malacca, Parameswara after the tree under which he had taken shelter.

Our main motive of visiting Malacca was to food-hunt. Being the 'melting pot' for various ethnics and nationalities, in particular the Babas and Nyonyas (Peranakan), this state sure does have a lot to offer in terms of great and wide variety of delicious foods.

We reached there around 2.30pm and it's time for lunch. We headed to Kedai Kopi Chung Wah - touted as the best Hainanese chicken rice in town.

Since it was way after the usual packed lunch hour, we were seated very soon. We ordered 10 chicken rice balls and half a steamed Hainanese chicken to go with the rice.

The rice balls was particularly fragrant and delicious but the chicken was kind of a letdown, in our opinion. The chicken used to taste a lot more better when I came here several years back. Perhaps the massive influx of tourists has been a factor in the deteriorating standard of the food served here. The 'Wow!' factor which once accompanied every bite on the famous chicken rice had disappeared, sadly.

After filling the stomachs, it's time to go for a leisure walk along the famous Jonker Street. This street is famous for selling all types of antique goods, handcrafts and local delicacies.

Even a fashion boutique was spotted there amidst the antique shops.

Young girl selling local delicacy at the Jonker Street...

An exciting sense of the coming festive season can be felt when you take a stroll along the Jonker Street. It was beautifully decorated with rows of red lanterns and banners indicating some big events or festivals that will be held there.

It kind of drizzled a little while we're sauntering so we had to seek shelter in one the shops. Luckily, there wasn't any customer at the moment so the shopkeeper doesn't really mind. =)

We later headed to the Stadthuys (also known as the Red Building) which was located nearby.

The Stadthuys was built by the Dutch as the administrative office for the Governor and his Deputy. It has now been converted as a state museum by the local authority. It is also being regarded as the oldest remaining Dutch historical building in the Orient.

Located beside the Stadthuys is the Christ Church - built in 1753 also by the Dutch. The red facade of the building had been repainted and a replica of "The Last Supper" adorned the ceilings of the church.

Who says you can't find windmill in Malacca?

If I'm not mistaken, Malacca is the only place in Malaysia that you can still find trishaws on the road - other than Penang. The trishaws were fully decorated with bright-colored flowers and some of them even have audio speakers to boot! But be prepared to fork out around RM40 to enjoy a one-hour ride in one of these 'BMW trishaws' =)

We walked further up to the A Famosa - the Portuguese fortress that was built circa 1511.

It was almost demolished totally by the British during the 19th century, but due to the timely intervention by Sir Stamford Raffles, the gate was spared from destruction and is still standing today.

We also visited the remnants of what was once the Francis Xavier Church. St. Francis Xavier was known as the "Apostle of the East" and this building was built to commemorate him for his contribution towards Christianity in Southeast Asia.

An interesting thing that happened when we spotted two buskers with guitars inside the building. When we entered the building, we heard them saying to each other loudly in Malay "Apalah orang ni semua? Tau ambik gambar je...ingat ambik gambar free ke?" His partner replied "Yelah tu..tengok kat orang orang ni..semuanya kedekut..KEDEKUT".

They were complaining that the visitors in the building were stingy and only interested in taking photos. Perhaps they're frustrated because no one was paying them to play and sing song. But if this is the kind of attitude shown by them, I wonder who will be so stupid as to pay them. At least they should learn be courteous and well-mannered. But, sigh...

It soon rained heavily and we decided to go seek shelter and do some shopping in Dataran Pahlawan Megamall. We window-shopped but did not buy anything eventually because most of the stuffs sold there were similar to those we found in KL and Klang, namely clothes, gadgets, shoes, and whatnot.

As dinner time approaching, we made our way to Lorong Bukit Cina. Smacked in the middle along the rows of shophouses lies the best satay celup in town - The Capitol satay celup!

This satay celup outlet has a reputation of having to queue up and wait around 1 hour for your turn to occupy the table. Normally, I will tend to shy away from having to queue for the food that I have to pay for, but this time was the exception - mainly because we were not really hungry and have free time to spare.

True to its reputation, we waited for about 45 minutes before being given a table. For those who have never tried satay celup, it is similar to 'lok lok' or steamboat, except for the sauce. Instead of chicken or tomyam broth, satay celup is cooked by dipping sticks of raw foods into a boiling pot of peanut sauce.

Upon seated, you can make your way to the food aisle and pick your foods - ranging from prawns, squids, chicken, sausages, vegetables, beef, lamb, quail's eggs, cockles and many more. Each and every stick costs RM 0.70 - be it prawns or cockles.

It's a known fact that the peanut sauce is used over and over again, so hygiene is not a factor to be concerned when you dine here. What sets Capitol apart from the other satay celup restaurants was the rich, creamy peanut sauce. The shop staffs will come to your table every 10 minutes or so to blend the sauce with extra peanuts and other ingredients to keep it from being diluted or burnt.

Another attraction of Capitol is the 'bonus sticks' - where you will be given big prawns or scallops when you have consumed certain amount of foods, at the same price (RM 0.70) per stick! Can't help but have to salute the boss for being so business-savvy. =)

Needless to say, we devoured every sticks that we've picked and went back to Klang a very satisfied couple. We actually planned to drop by at the Bunga Raya Food Court for the famous "oh chean" (fried oyster omelette) but we were so full after consuming the satay celup so we gave it a miss.

Maybe that is a good enough reason for us to return to Malacca next time around! =)

Hong Kong - Ocean Park

2010-01-15T22:13:00.021+08:00

On the 3rd day of our recent trip to Hong Kong, we visited the famous Ocean Park. I guess Hong Kong's Ocean Park is a very familiar name for a lot of us in Malaysia who have watched Hong Kong series since young.

You cannot miss out this aqua-themed Ocean Park which is located at the Southern District of Hong Kong Island. A highly recommended and interesting place to visit.

We reached there at around 12pm. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't too good :(

This theme park currently has over 14 rides. They are Mine Train, The dragon, Crazy Galleon, The eagle, Space wheel, Flying swing and more.

The mine train was particularly scary for me although many people claimed otherwise. As you can see from the first picture above, the mine train was just right beside the sea. I felt like being plummeted from the sky straight into the sea. LOL.

There is a four-storey aquarium displaying more than 2000 fishes from more than 250 marine species.

There were sharks, stingrays, jellyfish, starfish, turtle, stone fish, clown fish, sea horse and many more which I can't recall what they're called.

After spending half the day exploring the aquarium and the theme park, it's time to sit down and give the aching feet a break.

We went to the Ocean Theater located beside the theme park where there was a scheduled performance by the dolphins and sea lions. The outdoor theater was thoroughly packed by the time we reached there, but thankfully we managed to grab ourselves seats amidst the crowd of spectators.

The show was nice. MUST SEE!!

We rode on the cable car to another park of Ocean Park. All of us enjoyed this scenic cable car ride =)

It took us around 15 minutes to reach. They name it the Lowland Garden. After a whole day of walking and touring around, all of us were pretty exhausted. So we decided to take a few pictures in the lowland area before we leave.

In front of SkyFair

SkyFair - A big and beautiful helium balloon that bring you up to the sky. Allow you to enjoy the scenery of the whole Lowland area. All of us were too tired to get on the ride. What a waste!!!

Thanks Percy for bringing us around. It was a very tiring day but at least we enjoyed it to the fullest.

Hong Kong Ocean Park - A Money worthy place and highly recommended =)

New Year's eve celebration at Kuala Selangor

2010-01-07T23:06:00.014+08:00

Happy New Year to everyone here :)

Sorry for my delay of this post. Too busy enjoying my time with HIM :)

Anyway, lets go back to our topic. Hows your New Year's eve celebration? Both of us went all the way down to Kuala Selangor and of course with a bunch of crazy friends.

Kuala Selangor is actually a fishing village at the river mouth of Selangor river. Around 2 hours drive from the KL city center. There are quite a few attractions, such as the picturesque light house, Silverleaf Monkeys and the fireflies.

The fireflies are the biggest attraction of Kuala Selangor.

The boat trip started in Kampung Bukit Belimbing. Along the shores of the Selangor's river was very dark. The boat took us downstream and suddenly we saw fireflies at the river banks. It looked like a christmas tree with beautiful flashing lights. Awesome :) It was actually a very short and pricey ride but that wonderful moment was priceless at least for me.

Too bad:( No photo can be taken as this could frighten the fireflies.

Went back to a friend's house right after that for our BBQ dinner. Thanks to Ching Shuang and her family. It was so great to meet all of them especially her parents. Thanks Uncle and Aunt for hosting the BBQ party.

Busy preparing~

It took us almost 2 hours to light up the "BBQ stove". Don't know what they call it but for me it is a stove. Something wrong with the charcoal I guess. Was raining before that and uncle told us that charcoal kena rain and it was wet. So we waited for 2 hours and guess what.....we had our dinner at around 1 in the morning. Our first meal in year 2010.

Friends~

Its getting harder and harder to gather everyone and hold a small party nowadays. Most of them are busy with their studies, relationships, jobs and so on. Friends are leaving one by one. A few of them are going overseas to pursue their dreams and for those who are studying in local universities, they might be in other parts of Malaysia. Cherish every moment we have together, friends~

Slurpppp~~~

Group pic with the family

Slept over at Ching Shuang's place. Can't get to sleep well as there were mosquitoes.

Before we leave~

Ching Shuang brought us to this restaurant in Kuala Selangor which is famous for its seafood porridge.

Highly recommended~

After lunch, we planned to visit Bukit Melawati but was closed till 3pm due to the Friday prayer. We decided not to wait as all of us were pretty tired. We will definitely come back again :)

Can you spot the monkey?

Thanks Ckk for driving all of us there :)

Overall, it was an awesome new year's eve. A very different way to celebrate it especially with a group of wonderful friends that we know for years.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU ~

Hong Kong - Day 2

2010-01-02T17:12:00.019+08:00

Welcome to Day Two of our Hong Kong travelogue! I have been without Internet for the past week and is still currently detached from the online community due to the inavailability of internet port at my new home - so it kind of put a spanner into my blog-updating routine. Guess I'll just have to bear with it at the moment while praying that the ISP will be contacting me soon with some good news.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We kickstarted Day Two in Hong Kong with the devilishly mouth-watering bowl of Wantan Mee.
The HK-version of Wantan Mee was slightly different from those found in Malaysia as their soup was clearer and their Wantans (prawn dumplings) were twice the size of those sold in Malaysia and there was a huge full size prawn wrapped in it!

We then sauntered around the wet market nearby our hotel. It was pretty much the same as those portrayed in HK dramas - lots of butchers, fishmongers, and fruit and vege sellers.

As HK itself is a major port, it is only natural that they have abundance of fresh seafoods available. Fishes, prawns, crabs, clams, squids - you name it, they've got it.

Midway through our morning walk, I felt a burning sensation beneath my feet. I guessed it was down to the constant walking and the incomplete recovery of my sprained ankle the previous week that got me huffing and puffing throughout the journey.

On a positive note, it gave me the perfect excuse to hunt for a new pair of walking shoes. Though I prefer a white pair of shoes, I eventually settled down with the grey pair of New Balance as it was incredibly comfortable once I tried them on. And so, I parted with my HK$350.

With a new pair of shoes on, I was looking forward to our next destination. Not to mention that Vian and my mum were more relieved now that I do not complain of feet ache anymore. ;)

Our next destination - the Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum located at The Peak.

While waiting for the tram to arrive

Here comes the tram...

View from the tram

The Peak Tower - where the wax museum was located

The Peak was located at a hilltop, overlooking the scenic view of HK city and its port. To get to the Wax Museum, we had to take the tram that will take us uphill and along the way we were able to get a glimpse of the panaromic view of the port city and its surrounding skyscrapers.

However, it could not conceal our excitement of being able to meet and take pictures with the well-known celebrities and famous historical figures. Especially my sis - who drools over the prospect of meeting her idol, Brad Pitt.

We were greeted with our very own Datuk Michelle Yeoh at the entrance. She was looking ever resplendent in her pearl color outfit.

Me with my 'ex-gf', Nicole Kidman. Damn, has she grown taller since the last time I saw her!

The Most Celebrated Couple - er, can you guess which couple do I mean? :P

Vian with her Korean sweetheart - Bae Yong-jun.

While it may be easy to get starstrucked with such a vast array of stars in the museum, may I also add that it can also serve to realize your crazy and wild aspirations that may never be fulfilled in the real world.

Such as:

1) Be The King of England - and being flanked by no less than Queen Elizabeth herself.

2) Be good buddy with Saddam Hussein - and placed a 'Peace' sign on his head.

3) Having fun with Mr. Lee Kuan Yew - hmm, I don't think Mr. Lee will be amused. :P

4) Condemning George W. Bush - for all his misdeeds, RIGHT IN HIS FACE!

5) Tickling The Chairman Mao Zedong - while asking him "Why So Serious??" in a Joker-like tone.

6) Forming a pop music duo with Adolf Hitler - and posing for our debut album cover, military-style.

While I was forming bonds (and making enemies) with some important people, the girls were having a good time posing and immersed in another world with their idols.

And totally forgot about my existence. Sigh....

After spending around an hour realizing some unfinished dreams, we decided it's time and left the museum.

On the way out, I bumped into Yao Ming who was practising for the East Asian Games and decided to join him for fun. As he was about to make a shot, I jumped up in front of him and managed a successful block.

And here's the proof - captured on film.

:) . PRICELESS.

As Chinese President, Hu Jintao was making his way back to China on the same day after visiting the wax museum, he kindly invited us to join him on his official plane as he complained about the boredom whenever he flies alone. We gladly accepted. :)

We then went to the shopping mall located opposite The Peak Tower to have our McD's lunch.

There was this outlet inside the mall that sells a lot of unique, rare collectible stuffs. The name of the shop was Delay No More - which is a vulgar word if you pronounce it with a Cantonese accent. ;)

The view on top of the hill was breathtaking. We were able to have an eagle's eye view on the city and of course, we could not resist taking pictures on the cold, breezy hilltop.

At night, we made our journey back to the MTR station by foot. Along the way, we crisscrossed the city centre and the nightview was splendid - different from daytime but somehow similarly breathtaking with the brightly-lit skyscrapers - smacked right in the middle of the financial capital of Asia.

That concludes our travelogue for Day 2 in Hong Kong.

Do come back for more in our Day 3 & 4 review of the trip which will be updated by Vivian soon. :)

~Happy New Year to all dear readers~

Christmas 2009

2009-12-28T23:49:00.009+08:00

A belated Merry Christmas to everyone here :)

Our Christmas eve started with a very simple yet luxurious steamboat buffet at Coca, Subang Parade.

Actually we planned to have our Christmas dinner at TGIF but was fully booked :(

The steamboat buffet wasn't what we expected initially. YUEN STEAMBOAT located somewhere in Sunway is so much better than COCA. LOL.

After dinner, we went to this Little Bally Cafe in SS15 Subang Jaya. A nice and comfy place with live band. Although it was only 2 of us but we had quite an eventful Christmas eve celebration. We talked, we shared, we laughed, we kissed.......It was just like having the whole world by ourselves. What a perfect feeling :)

After an hour of 'two people world', we joined his friends in Royal Oak located at Jaya One, PJ. Another drinking and chit chatting session.

Merry Christmas, dear! Thanks for the wonderful Christmas dinner :) I wrote a letter to Santa telling him that you are what I want for every Christmas and I hope he can make my wish come true :)

Muacks!

Hong Kong - Day 1

2009-12-18T15:37:00.021+08:00

As we mentioned in the previous entry, we embarked on a 6D/5N trip to Hong Kong together with my mum and sis. It was a hastily arranged trip as we made a pretty last minute decision to visit HK just 3 weeks before. But it turned out to be a brilliant decision eventually as the trip turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable one and we practically shopped till we dropped - and broke!

Throughout the entire length of the journey, we snapped about 600 photos so you will have to expect that these 4-part entries are gonna be filled with lots of pictures. :)

We arrived at the Hong Kong International Airport on Saturday night. It was regarded as one of the best airports in the world but honestly, it failed to live up to my expectations or perhaps, I expected too much instead.

The first thing that struck me about Hong Kong was the sightings of tall, multi-storey apartments and condos everywhere. It gave the impression of Hong Kong as the City of Lights as the sky was well-lit by the assortment of neons and light bulbs emitted from the skyscrapers and tall apartments. However, the abundance of tall buildings in a small country can only mean one thing - a very densely populated country! Lest I digress, I'll dwelve into the subject later on.

This was the hotel that we stayed in for the duration of the trip. It was located in North Point - an area which was located next to Causeway Bay. The hotel made an error in recording our bookings prior to our arrival, but luckily they still have rooms available for that day. Otherwise, we might have to sleep on cardboards under the bridge just like those homeless men often depicted in TVB dramas.

This was the street view at night just outside our hotel. Several rows of shoplots, blocks of apartments and endless streams of red cabs and double decker buses.

In the morning, the city came to life. Still, there was the usual endless stream of red cabs and buses filling up the streets everywhere. It is not surprising really, considering the exorbitant petrol price for vehicles which was around HK$10 per litre (approx. RM5 per litre).

We were lucky as Vian's friend, Percy was a Hongkonger and she was free to bring us around. In this densely populated city with a fast moving lifestyle, you can easily get lost amid the sea of people without someone to guide you around.

The next morning, Percy brought us to this restaurant which served some delicious dim sums for breakfast.

We had a hard time deciding what to order as there was a vast variety of dim sums to choose from.

We eventually settled for siu long baos, har gao, fu chuk rolls, phoenix claws (chicken feet) and some more. Dim sum is like to Hongkongers what Nasi Lemak is like to us Malaysians. That was the preferred way to kick start the morning here - enjoying dim sums over Chinese tea while chit-chatting with your family and friends.

After breakfast, we then headed to Tsim Sha Tsui - a well known luxury shopping district for the locals. As with most of the locals here, we travelled by foot and MTR.

The MTR stations were often packed and crowded with people from all walks of life and one have to walk closely together in order not to get lost.

This was the Octopus Card - somewhat akin to our Touch 'N Go and Perth's Smart Rider card.

Females always have time to pose for a shot - even while waiting for the traffic light to turn green. The 3 ladies shown above were a good example.

The Gateway Shopping Mall - home to luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Marc Jacobs, etc.

One thing about the luxury brands in Hong Kong - they were more like Jusco supermarket on J-card Day Sale rather than the usually quiet and elegant malls in Starhill.

Look at throngs of people lining up to get a hand on their luxurious must-have handbags or wallets. From the experience of staying in HK for 5 days, I can safely say that 9 out of 10 people that you meet in the street will have at least a LV or a Gucci with them and the odd one out that doesn't have any of the luxury item is almost certainly a foreigner.

Just half day gone and we're already carrying so many shopping bags with us. Good for the ladies, but pity the guy who have to carry those bags though. :P
The city was packed with droves of people walking from all directions. It kept me thinking whether in the future HK will suffer from the problem of oxygen inadequacy.

There was this little candy shop located outside the the shopping mall that sells various types of candies, chocolates and snacks. You can choose any type of combination of the candies or chocolates available and they will be charged according to the price per 100 gram. My mum couldn't resist the temptation and succumbed to it by buying 3 packets full of candies, cookies and mini dried meats.

Christmas celebration in HK was sort of like Christmas in Singapore, if not on a grander scale. Streets and high rise buildings were adorned and decorated with colorful neon lights and signboards ushering the impending Christmas celebration. It was a far cry from the normally mundane and more subdued Christmas celebration in Kuala Lumpur.

That night, we travelled to Sha Tin by MTR to enjoy the famous chicken porridge. However, there was an incident which almost disrupted the whole plan altogether.

In the eagerness to savour the chicken porridge in Sha Tin, Vian had accidentally entered the MTR and then the door closed, leaving all 3 of us stranded behind. There was a moment of panic as she was unfamiliar with the stations, and Percy and I were showing her hand signals to indicate that we will meet her at the next station.

However, she was nowhere to be found when we got off at the next station. And we were keeping our fingers crossed that hopefully she will be waiting for us at Sha Tin station which was 2 stops away. Unfortunately, we caught no sight of her when we arrived at Sha Tin station.

Percy decided to go back to the first station while the 3 of us were searching for her at Sha Tin. It was during then that I felt a sudden sense of impulse to look out for her near the elevator.

Perhaps it was pure coincidence or maybe it was pure destiny, there she was - about to descend onto the elevator when I spotted her. It was a huge relief to all of us, and she was visibly shaken from the ordeal. I comforted her and she barely eaten throughout the dinner too because she was having a bad migrain and stomachache at the same time.

That was an eventful first day for us at HK. Not exactly the way we imagined we will have spent the first day in the City of Lights but we were certainly looking forward to the remaining 4 days of our trip here.....

To be continued...Part 2

Off to Hong Kong

2009-12-12T02:23:00.002+08:00

Hey guys..

I am back. Just landed yesterday :)

Will be flying off to Hong Kong tomorrow afternoon.

Will update you guys as soon as possible.

Stay Tune :)

Mozilla Firefox

2009-12-05T00:44:00.005+08:00

Was playing with my Mozilla Firefox this morning. I discovered that we can actually download themes and apply it to the browser. Awesome!

LOL...I know that I acted like some 'sua ku'..just came out from don't know which jungle..But it is damn cool. After so many years of using Mozilla firefox, now only I know that it can be so cool with those colourful themes. It brightens up your day whenever you turn on your browser :) Give a try!

Here are a few websites where you can get those custom-made themes :

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/browse/type:2
http://customize.org/firefox

Try google "Mozilla Firefox Themes Download" for more :)

The Race Against Time

2009-12-04T02:32:00.009+08:00

This is the reason why I'm currently on 'self-imprisonment' mode for at least a week.

I sprained my ankle while playing futsal last Saturday. I was retreating back to my goalpost for defence when I inadvertently twisted my right foot and landed on my ankle in an awkward position. I heard a loud 'craackkkkkk' and I knew I was damned.

The immediate pain was atrocious and I could barely muster the energy the speak, even as my friends was surrounding me and trying to make jokes to trigger some response from me. I laid flat on the turf for a good 10 minutes - grimacing in pain - before the pain eventually dwindled.

A quick check with the doctor revealed that I've sprained my ankle badly and there was a minor fracture on my ankle bone. The advice was to stop all vigorous activities and to rehabilitate at home for at least a week or two.

As though being confined indoor for a couple of weeks isn't bad enough, I now have to race against the time to get myself in tip-top condition (or at least in walkable condition) before the looming trip to Hong Kong on the 12th next month.

Now all I can do is to continue taking the medication, stay indoor as much as possible, watch TV to pass the time (or Facebook-ing), keep the fingers crossed, and wait for Vian to come back and be my driver. :)

Cottesloe Beach

2009-12-01T22:32:00.014+08:00

- Went Cottesloe Beach last Sunday with babes. The weather was okay but a bit too windy.

- Heard the name Cottesloe since the 1st day I arrived at Perth but never have the time to go. After 1 and a half year here finally I have the chance to explore this super awesome beach :)

- It is around 30 minutes drive from Kardinya (the place I am staying right now). Guess what? I drove a Kia Carnival there. It is a huge car to actually fit only 3 of us in but no choice la. That's the only car we have right at the moment.

- For those who had knew me very well, you guys should knew that I can't really read a map :( We got lost on the way. Can't find Jarrad Street but anyhow we still managed to get our way there. We were like jumping up and down when we saw Cottesloe beach. LOL. Took almost an hour to reach there.

It was soooooo WINDY until we can't hardly open our mouth. The wind was very strong and the sand keep on 'attacking' us. LOL.

Although the weather was very hot but the water was very very cold. The only word appeared in my mind at that moment was SHARK! LOL. My dad told me that we will get to see sharks swimming around in Australia's beaches because the water is cold. Damn dangerous lo :(

Babes in bikinis :)

- Had Fish and Chips for lunch. Can you guys actually spot the fish? Yea, this is the Australian version of Fish and Chips. Chips more than fish..LOL

It is so good to go to the beach once in a while. I personally prefer beaches more than high mountains. High mountains make me sick :( and I know Ryan prefers mountains than beaches because he cannot swim. Haha..

Dear, come with me at least once when we get back from our holidays, ok? It will not be perfect when you are not here sharing the joy :)

We leave the beach at around 4pm. Crystal clear water and smooth sand. Definitely a nice beach to visit.

Freedom tastessss so SWEET !

2009-12-01T00:14:00.007+08:00

Hi everyone

I am done with my exams.

Holidays started last Thursday. But I have too many things to do until I don't really have the time to blog =)

- Watched 2012 with Fangyu on Friday. The movie was awesome - telling us to do something to protect our mother nature from being destroyed. It is always not too late if we are willing to put the effort in :)

After the movie, went straight to the city for our dinner. Christmas is coming very soon. Christmas decorations are up and lighten up the whole city. It is so beautiful....

Nice Christmas tree

Australia is a bit different from other countries. No snow, no white christmas but a perfect hot weather where everyone come out with their bikinis. Christmas in Australia fall on the summer. It is extreamly hot. Around 40 to 45 degree celcius. Luckily I will be back for the whole summer holiday. Cant imgaine myself staying here........

- Went Harbour town on Saturday. It has been a very long time since I stepped into it. Almost 2 months I guess. Was busy writting my 6k words essays. Nothing much although I have not step in for 2 months. Anyhow, I still managed to get myself a nice batik-style dress =) Memang a shopaholic....Die die also must go home with something.

with the neighbours

Almost all of my close friends are Asians. Singaporeans or Malaysians. Some of my friends wondering why I don't really mix with Australians - i mean the ang mohs. I find it hard to actually get a really close ang moh friend. We meet and talk to each other during our tutorials only..other than that we don't really mix around. Maybe this is because ang moh cant really remember and recognise us. Asians are all look the same to them. Same skin colour with the not so sharp face features..LOL...

Took this while waiting for Percy to try on her bikini :)

-Went to Cottlesloe Beach yesterday with babes. Enjoyed the sun and the beach but it was a bit too windy.

Will update soon =)

The beautiful beach

p/s If you guys are wondering why Ryan is not with me in all those pics...He is back in Malaysia for holidays and busy eating the delicious food all by himself :(

Dear, see you soon :) 10 more days to go. I Love You.

The Missing Piece of My Jigsaw Puzzle

2009-11-28T02:32:00.003+08:00

As I came home tonight, my adrenaline thoroughly drained.

As I stepped into the shower, my mind began to wander about the day's happenings.

I had a pretty eventful day today. I went to karaoke, watched a movie afterwards, had a scrumptious dinner thereafter, and went drinking with my closest friends when the moon arose, reflecting upon the dark grey sky.

But why did I felt something's amiss in my life? Something is missing. Something isn't right.

As I let the droplets of water came gushing down on my body, I began searching for the elusive answer.

I tried to view at the jigsaw puzzle of my life - time and again - from different perspectives.
No matter how I chose to view it, it seemed to be an elegantly beautiful piece of puzzle. Yet, there's is one glaring gap in the almost-perfect puzzle.

And that's when I realized, I've found the answer.

No matter how strikingly beautiful and complete the puzzle is, the missing piece is painfully obvious. Perhaps the eye can't see, but the heart can certainly feel it.

A part of you has grown in me. And so you see, it's you and me together forever.

We'll never be apart, perhaps in distance, but never in heart.

Love,

~Ryan~

Happy Birthday, Mummy :)

2009-11-21T16:56:00.002+08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUMMY :)

Happy Birthday to my absolutely fabulous mummy. Truly love you more than anything.

You have done so much for us and not to mention puts up with so much for us as well. LOL

Mummy is the most special, outgoing, outrageous, kind and loving woman that I've ever known.

Thanks for everything and have the best day..You deserve it...

xoxo..

Geek Mode: ON

2009-11-13T14:54:00.004+08:00

Exams coming real soon ~

First paper will be on the 19th of November, next Thursday.

Have done some revision and hope that everything will be on the right track :)

I feel kinda excited because after exam I will be going back to my home sweet home but at the same time I feel butterflies in my stomach....

No matter how, will always try my very best~
Wish me luck :)

I will be back for holidays on the 10th of Dec.
Dear friends, prepare yourself for our meet up/mamak/gossiping sessions :)

Leederville : A place full of nice cafes

2009-10-31T00:56:00.018+08:00

Hi, I am back :)

Few weeks ago, went to this place called Leederville with the neighbours.

Leederville, a few kilometers of Perth CBD. According to people around us, it is a place full of nice cafes.

Went to this cafe name Greens & Co. It was recommended by the neighbour's friend.

A very unique cafe decorated with many many round lanterns hanging around. Posters all over as their 'wallpaper'. Now I began to realize that round lanterns and posters actually form very nice background.

One thing weird about this cafe was they don't have a menu. You have to go to the counter personally to ask for price and so on......

I don't like coffee..I don't eat cakes. It is simply because I don't eat any kind of pastry. No matter how delicious they are, I will always say NO to bread, cakes, muffins, cookies, pie or whatever that made up using flour as an ingredient.

Everyone sort of ordered a piece of cake and a cup of coffee. According to them, the cakes and coffees were good. Please don't ask me how good is it, I have no idea at all. For me coffee and cake sucks :((((((((

Tiramisu :)

I guess the cake was not bad. You know why............From the picture below you will know what I mean.....

From her face, we can tell that the Tiramisu was not bad :)

Fangyu, please don't kill me if you see this....haha

The Neighbours: Jules, Percy and Fangyu

The cafe was a nice place to relax. A nice place to have a few friends around chatting over the weekends. Nowadays people are actually lazy or too busy to meet friends for coffee and so on. Facebook, msn or email are the ways we communicate. How sad ~~

People should spend more time talking to each other. What I mean is face to face conversation.
Sitting in front of a computer reading what each other typing is rather meaningless.

The feeling is not the same compared to a real face to face conversation. At least you get to see from the face how happy or sad the person is ~

Loves this photo very much....

Told ya, lanterns and posters can form a nice background :)

The Quarter Milestone of Life - 25th Birthday

2009-10-22T15:53:00.005+08:00

20th October marked the silver jubilee of my life.

Throughout our lives, every birthday represents an opportunity to look back into the nostalgic journey that we've passed especially in the past few years and to gauge how far we've come to become the persons that we are today.

Looking back, I considered myself lucky and blessed in a way that I'm constantly being surrounded by the people that I love and care - my family, my friends and Vian. Being apart from those closest to you during your birthday isn't a wonderful feeling (trust me on that), but having Vian here with me, it sort of provide a soothing consolation for me - not that she's in any way less important than my family and friends, NO. But you get the idea.

One of the perks of having your own blog is the ability to immortalized the ups and downs of your life in the virtual diary. It gave you the impetus to go back and read your own archive to see what has happened in your life, and how you've changed!

Well, I don't know if it's just me but birthday is getting less and less special with each passing year. I remember when I was young, I will keenly anticipate my Big Day and will eagerly await the expected showers of presents and wishes from family and friends. As time dragged on, it has became just another 'special occasion' where I'll celebrate with a scrumptious dinner with my family and perhaps a drink or two with friends.

I soon realized that it is not because birthday isn't so 'special' anymore. But rather it's the process of growing up that made us realized life does not turn to be the carefree fairy tale that we're so optimistic about when we were younger. I realized that the annual gifts and presents that I received isn't going to make me a better-equipped person to face the challenges of life. On the contrary, with each birthday the burden of responsibility grew ever heavier on my shoulders.

Long-winded philosophy aside, this year's 25th birthday was the second time that I celebrated my Big Day on the Aussie shore. Vian and I had a very satisfying, delicious, mouth-watering BBQ steamboat in the comfort of our home.

However, the 'Star of the Day' goes to the personalized photo album that she made for me. In the weeks leading up to my birthday, she has been acting rather stealthily; secretly embarking on this little project of her own.

I just want to say 'Thank you dear. For the wonderful gift and for always being there for me."

And Happy Birthday to me~

Mao's Last Dancer

2009-10-11T21:13:00.007+08:00

This is definitely one of the best movie I've seen for a long time.

Mao's Last Dancer, a highly recommended movie.

MUST WATCH :)

Mao's Last Dancer is based on a true story of a Chinese Ballet Dancer Li Cunxin who grew up in rural poverty during Mao's communist rule. He was given the opportunity to dance in the West in the early 80s.

At the age of 11, Li was chosen from a poor Chinese village by Madame Mao's delegates and taken to Beijing to study ballet.

He was later offered to study with one of the top ballet companies in the world, the Houston Ballet in America. While he was there in America, he fell in love with an American woman.

Later on, he defected (as he was unwilling to return to China to remain with his lover, thus he was stripped of his nationality by the Chinese government) and went on to perform as a principal dancer for the Houston Ballet.

At the peak of the film, Li was forced to choose between his career, family, culture, country and love. He refused to go back to China and this was where the conflicts began.

The film captured the essence of the story by provoking emotions and relating the struggle faced by Li in a moving kind of way. The viewers could generally sympathize with the hardship faced by Li's family during the era of communism under Mao Zedong and virtually followed through the protagonist' journey into a foreign, capitalist country and to eventually fall in love with a foreign girl.

Perhaps the most touching scene of the film was when his parents were flown to U.S. to watch their now famous son performed in front of a packed audience.

Be sure to catch it in the cinema near you. I would rate this film 9/10.

Mothers @ Perth

2009-10-07T18:02:00.015+08:00

September was indeed a hectic month for us. After sending off Vian's friends back to KL, both our moms arrived for a 4D 3N trip the following week. Thanks to Air Asia - now everyone can fly indeed!

In hindsight, it was a blessing for us given the fact that life in Perth is pretty 'lifeless' and boring. Thus, any visitors be it friends or families are guaranteed welcomed with open arms! :)

As tourist attractions in Perth are few and far between, you're bound to view some repetitive photos of some places that we've covered with her friends in the previous entry.

Among the places that we visited are Kings Park and its botanical garden.

Vian and her second bf :P

The next day, we woke up early as we've decided the day before to make a day trip to Swan Valley. In case you've forgotten, it's the place that's renowned for producing wine, nougats and chocolates.

Wine tasting at Houghton's winery.

Free wine tasting are available at every winery in Swan Valley.

In order to get free tasting, you'll have to produce your personal I.D. for them to ensure that you're 18 and above. We were given a select few types of grape wine to taste, but found most of them do not suit our palates except for the fruity-like white wine.

My mom's favourite - nougats factory (Mondo's Nougats).

We bought nougats in bulk - since they're the best thing to come out from Perth since koalas. :P

It was a different kind of fun travelling with our moms who're more laidback and enjoy the sceneries at Perth; contrast to travelling with bunch of friends who're more fun-loving and adventurous.

This month, we won't be having so much fun anymore. It's time to get back on work and studies and to endure the following two months before we have our summer break and embarking on our Christmas and New Year escapades!

Mandurah 3 days 2 nights

2009-09-27T16:35:00.033+08:00

Ops...We should have post this right after the 'Swan Valley' post but we were too lazy as you guys know...We have damn a lot of photos that we wanted to show you guys..LOL

Okay..should stop giving those lame excuses :)

Few weeks ago during my study break, both of us went Mandurah with the neighbours.
Let me briefly talk about this beautiful place before I start posting up all my crazy photosss.

On the way...

MANDURAH is derived from the Aboriginal word, meaning the "meeting place". It is the 6th most unaffordable place to live in. About an hour drive from the place we are staying or maybe an hour and a half from Perth city.

Anyway, we rented this very beautiful house with all facilities :) included a pool table! It was quite a good deal. 60 bucks per person for 2 nights.

The dining area. Cantik kan??

Toilet with jacuzzi :)
Percy and me used this together to fully utilize our 60 bucks..hehe

One of the rooms with huge toilet

Went to the beach nearby before dinner. Strong wind and we were freaking cold at that moment. The beach was empty. Only crazy people like us will go to the beach during winter. Haha......Felt so relief the wind was brushing against the skin. As if the strong wind had actually blew off the problems that I had.

It is nice to have smiles on everyone's face :)

Day 2

Went on a cruise to see dolphins.

Mandurah has a very beautiful harbour. The place is just very scenic. Quiet, windy and bright sunlight. It was so comfortable although it was still winter.

So peaceful :)

Can you spot the dolphin?

Saw a few dolphins along the way. There were also a few new and expensive apartments by the sea. Approximately 6.8 million per unit. Told ya, Mandurah is the 6th most unaffordable place to live in. LOL.

Those were the very expensive apartments.
Dear, earn hard. Get me live in one of this,ok?

Other than that, the cruise also passed by a man-made canal where there were multi millions houses on both side. Unique designs with their private harbours.

Nice houses right??? Lets work and earn hard :) Maybe we have the chance to stay in one of those houses :) *still dreaming*......

Took a few pictures after we were back at the harbour.

I love this set of pictures very much :) with the pretty blue sky as background and everyone was smiling so gorgeously......

After lunch then we went to this Miniature Village.

It was actually a place with over 35 individual buildings from all over the UK. There were different architectural styles from 12th century onwards.

According to the worker there, the figures were all hand made and painted, are requiring repainting every 6 to 12 months. It was so amazing right? :)

Went to the beach again to see sunset. It was so beautiful.

It was really windy at that moment. Worthwhile because we get to see the sunset. This was what we cant get to experience staying in the city.

Woke up the 2nd day and felt so reluctant to go home :( We packed up and checked out in the morning. Headed to MacDonald for breakfast. Everyone looked so tired.

Back to reality :)

Our 2nd Anniversary

2009-09-22T15:14:00.008+08:00

"Love is what makes two people sit in the middle of a bench when there is plenty of room at both ends"

21st September 2009 marked the two years that we have been together.

It has been a truly memorable two years, starting from the moment we embarked on a journey that we have no idea where will it head to. It surely wasn't a breeze in the ocean, because we had experienced both ups and downs in this sometimes stormy, unpredictable relationship.

Gladly, common sense and tolerance often prevailed over jealousy and hatred and thus, we were able to weather the storm.

The most wonderful things in life, I believe, is the discovery of another human being with whom one's relationship has a growing depth, beauty, and joy as the years increased. The inner progressiveness of love between two human beings is a most marvelous thing; it cannot be found by looking for it or by passionately wishing for it. It is a sort of divine accident, and the most wonderful of all thing in life.

On that wonderful day, she presented me with a leather watch - something which I've wanted for so long, yet have to put it at the back of my mind for the time being because I'm learning to be thrifty.

And a handwritten card.

Words failed me in expressing my mixed emotions at that moment. I mean, I loved the watch but it's the little note in the card that reminded me about the joy and sadness that we've gone through together in these truly memorable two years.

It certainly feel like we've come full circle now, but I know that the best has yet to come. The best for us is still waiting in the distance future, something that we both will have to hang on to and believe to make it happen.

The best gift is neither the watch nor the card......

IT'S YOU, MY DEAR.....

I LOVE YOU, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY~

Day 3 & 4 - V.I.Ps from Klang

2009-09-13T23:33:00.007+08:00

Here is the continuation of pics taken during Day 3 and 4 of Vian's friends' visit to Perth recently.

We visited Kings Park - which is a popular tourist destination in Perth.
By standing atop the hill, we're able to have an eagle's eye view on the breathtaking scenery of the city of Perth.

Surrounded by lush of greens and century-old trees, it is an ideal place to visit for the view or to unwind and relax after a hectic day at work.

This was taken at the memorial square to commemorate the Aussie soldiers who fought in various wars around the world.

The grass-carpeted pathway.

On the 4th day, we went to the Bell Tower.
It's located in the middle of the city and has been a major landmark for Perth city since I don't know when. =P

The unmistakable ferris wheel on the background is called The Wheel of Perth.
Similar to our very own Eye on Malaysia - only 3 times more expensive (RM 15.00 vs AUD 15.00).

September on the outlook seems to be a busy month for the two of us.
Apart from the 4 VIPs from Klang, both our mums will be arriving this Friday for a 3 days trip.

This is on top of the Mandurah trip which we've yet to update on this blog. It was a thoroughly enjoyable escapade from the usual city life in Perth. We also got to witness the lifestyle of the 'rich and famous' who built their multi-million floating holiday homes in Mandurah. Mind you, it's the 6th Most Unaffordable Place to Live in The World. So, we'll be updating about that trip in the next entry.

At the moment, we'll just take a short break before being tour guides for our mums this weekend. Checking out~!

再一次牵你的手

2009-09-12T00:38:00.003+08:00

As usual, went IGA with Ryan for some groceries shopping.

Nothing special, since it has been like a routine for us.

I realised that this so called 'routine' has actually took away quite a few things from us.

Among other things, it has took away a big part of romance from us - no more living like a bf/gf that make us feel really excited when we're seeing each other or doing something together. Rather, we're living like a married couple nowadays and things have been rather unspectacular since.

However, while buying bread in IGA today, Ryan held my hand - and the sparks were ignited again. I felt so excited, it felt like the very first time, all over again.

Funny how we seem to miss the thing we've lost, and appreciate them when we have them back again. But we're considered lucky, because some people lost something and missed it - and never have the chance to be able to have it back again......

Dear, I Love You more than I can say.

私はあなたしかすきじゃありません 。

V.I.P from Klang

2009-09-08T14:39:00.014+08:00

It has been a very busy week for us.

We have 4 V.I.Ps coming all the way from Malaysia. They have been planning this trip 10 months ago and finally they are here.

I dont think that I will ever make it to upload all the photos in one shot. There are too many photos to upload so I decided to make it into 2 parts.

Khai Krun, Shuang, See Lim and Chong Yaw. They were here for 4 days 3 night.

They arrived early in the morning on a very beautiful Saturday where I was still sleeping peacefully on my bed.

Oh..They were complaining that I didnt wake up and pick them up at the airport. LOL.

Here are the pictures that we took on the 1st day.

Went Swan Valley on the 1st day. 45 minutes drive from Perth City. It is a place famous with wine, nougat and chocolates.

This is the winery. The place that you can get to taste all kinds of wine.

Oh ya, did I mention that FangYu and friends were also there in Swan Valley?

The neighbours.

Next we went to The Margaret River Chocolate Company.

Nougat Factory

real or not?

Vivian with her red car and red bag

The Caversham House

A scenic place where people can held their wedding here.

18sx~

Driver for the day :)

There are more pictures coming up. Stay tune :)

My heart is whispering

2009-08-18T16:49:00.005+08:00

Love

is missing someone whenever you're apart, but somehow feeling warm inside because you're close in heart.

Quoted:Kay Knudsen

DEAR, can u hear me? I Miss You.

Love,

Vi Vian dear :)

Gina Bag

2009-08-08T01:59:00.005+08:00

Few days ago, I was chatting with my sister in MSN. The conversation sort of went like this:

Sis : hey...perth got sell any nice n cheap bags?

Ryan : got...vian got herself a few also...all red color...lolz

Sis : walau..i also wan lerr....buy 4 me ok?

Ryan : wat type of bag u wan? got matured and 'ginna' (childish) ones...

Sis : emm...i wan bling bling 1....

Ryan : pls dont be ah lian ok?

Sis : wat ah lian? nice lurr tat one...

Ryan : nice ur head la...so wat type u wan?

Sis : let me think 1st...how much is it?

Ryan : depends la..got as cheap as $10 also..

Sis : wah..so cheap...ok u see nice then buy for me la ok

Ryan : zzzz... ok ok

Then, the very next day....

Sis : ehh...mum asked u buy the gina bag for her...

Ryan : harr?

Sis : neh...yesterday u say got gina bag $10 only...

Ryan : yea...but why mum wants ginna bag?? so childish!

Sis : childish meh?

Ryan : yalar...abo then? ginna bag is for ginna...not childish meh?

Sis : ?!?!? i thought u say Gina bag....WALAO EH!

Ryan : wat Gina bag???

Sis : this one lerrr....

Sis : http://www.gina.com/client/theshop/productsview1.aspx?categoryid=4

Ryan : *faint*

Really speechless....!

Tornado Potato & South Beach

2009-07-27T22:26:00.009+08:00

There is this particular snack in Fremantle Market that we had wanted to try for ages.

Every time we passed by that stall, we would witness the stall operators frying and serving them up on a stick to the customers. The craving had gotten so bad that we desperately headed to Freo last Saturday and gave it a go!

Introducing the Tornado Potato!

The potato was skewered on a bamboo stick and put through a machine that gave it a spiral-cut.

It was then put into the deep-fryer for a good few seconds before being seasoned with your choice flavor.

BBQ, Cheese & Chili - We went for the BBQ flavor.

It really does taste effing awesome and thoroughly addictive. Vian is still dreaming about it now.

Well, one of the downsides of winter is that there are a lot of things that we are not able to do during the cold weather. For example bbq-ing, swimming (not that I'm a swimmer), wearing T-shirts and shorts, and going to the beach.

But we did just that! After stopping by Freo market, we hopped on a CAT bus to South Beach which wasn't far away.

There I was, bracing the wind to pose with the signboard. Lame I know.

Vian posing with a tree. Even lamer. LOL.

Walking on sand is always a daunting task because the sand tends to get into the shoes all the time. You can walk barefoot, which is more comfortable but we had a better idea.

CROCS sandals! Perfect for walking on sandy beaches. =)

Since it was really chilly and we can't really swim or have a picnic there, we might as well pose for photos. If I recalled correctly, there wasn't more than 10 persons at the beach.

I reckoned the 10 of us were truly 'brilliant' for coming up with such a 'great' idea.

Vian with her customary "Bollywood" pose.

Someone's cutting a forlorn figure walking into the beach entrance.

Hooray! We've got company!

After 20 minutes or so, we really couldn't stand the cold wind anymore. I was practically shivering from the chilliness.

The wind almost felt like biting into the veins. Plus, it made us kind of hungry. Hehe.

The day started with a bang and so we should end it with a bang too surely.

Kailis' - The Best Fish 'n' Chips in WA. (Oh yeah? We reckon that the Fish 'n' Chips in Kardinya is still the best!)

The happiest person whenever there's food! =)

Western Australia Maritime Museum

2009-07-22T20:56:00.030+08:00

Last Saturday, both of us went to the Western Australia Maritime Museum. First of all, we seldom have the time or rather initiative to visit places like museum or those so called tourist attractions in Perth.

This time around is different because we have 2 visitors from Hong Kong, Percy's (our neighbour) mum and her brother. Percy decided to bring them to Fremantle and she asked us to tag along.

In Fremantle itself, there are several museums. After circling around the port city on a CAT bus, there was this particular museum that caught our attention.

It was the Western Australia Maritime Museum.

The Maritime Museum located at Victoria Quay, Fremantle has more than two and a half million specimens or artefacts.

The admission fees were quite cheap compare to the other museums around Fremantle.

-$15 for an adult

-$8 for concession such as student and senior citizen

(Joint ticket - includes a museum day pass and Submarine Entry)

These are the few pictures taken in the museum's gallery. It was rather an interesting place to visit. Highly educational and breathtaking.

Next, we have the chance to go onboard a real submarine. This submarine named HMAS Ovens is a former Royal Australian Navy Oberon Class submarine. It was employed during the Cold War II.

The museum offers a special guided tour through the submarine. We were given explanation on how the submarine actually works. It was very complicated and most of the people in the tour don't really get what the tour guide is trying to say. He used quite a lot of scientific terms and marine jargons that confused us.

This four tubes are where the torpedoes being kept

The Tiny Kitchen

Try to imagine that the chef need to cook for 62 navy crews in this small little tiny kitchen.

Electric control room

Main Control Area

There are a few more compartments that we visited in the submarine. Unfortunately we didn't manage to capture any picture because the aisle was too narrow and the places were dimly lit.

Overall it was a very interesting experience :) Afterall not many people can claim that they had been inside a real wartime submarine before.

Our guests from Hong Kong:-

From left : Aunty,me, Percy and her brother :)

Eating Out @ Ikea, Perth

2009-07-21T19:33:00.010+08:00

Recently, I received an online catalogue from IKEA and was informed that they're having sale at their WA outlet located in Innaloo.

For those who read our blog on regular basis, you guys might have known that we're both avid IKEA customers - having adorned our home with almost every furniture and cooking utensil bought from the Swedish furniture store. Why? Quite simply - they're cheap and are of reasonable quality. What more can you ask for?

And so, without a hint of hesitation, we decided to go to IKEA on Saturday! The trip from Kardinya to Innaloo takes about 45 minutes by train, and if not for the fact that it is located so far away from us, we would have patronize them every weekend.

Once we reached the destination, we went up to First Floor in a jiffy. Not that we intended to grab some cheap, discounted furnitures. Instead, it is where the food court is located. =)

Going there on a Saturday and especially during sales wasn't a good idea afterall.
The food court was packed to the brim and as soon as we saw the crowd, we began to worry that we might not be able to get a table there.

We made a beeline to the food counters, ordered our foods, fill up the drinks, paid for the bill and began 'hunting' for a table! Thankfully, it didn't took us long to notice an unoccupied table.

Vian was posing gleefully with her so-called 'colorful kids' meal'.
In case you're wondering, she ordered TWO plates of kids' chicken nuggets and fries. Told you she's a big eater! =P

As for me, ever since our last visit to IKEA, I have been craving for their Swedish meatballs.

Here is the "Star of The Day"

Delicious meatballs served with fries and creamy gravy poured on top.
AWESOME-ness!!

Afterwards, we did some 'exercise' in-store by having a stroll and trying to grab some good bargains without anything in mind to buy. Shopping at IKEA can be considered as some sort of 'luxury' as the other shopping centres here are freakingly small in size.

In the end, we managed to went home with a paperbag-ful of purchase.

Don't be fooled by the picture. It's really windy and cold here, not as hot and sunny as it seems though.

Here's what we bought from IKEA. Hahaha.

One and a half hour round trip just to get a tray, some screws, and an oven mitt.

But the meatballs just made it so worthwhile!! =)

Finally Arrived :)

2009-07-05T16:38:00.007+08:00

My brother arrived in Perth yesterday morning.

He has enrolled to study in Taylors College here in Perth. New place, new people, new friends, new environment, new 'parents'...He will be 'homestaying' with an Australian family. Good for him as he is still very dependent. Mum is quite worried about him as this is the 1st time he is away from the home sweet home. Keep on calling to make sure that he is fine here.

He is lucky enough to have this jie jie here in Perth. Just give jie jie a call and everything will be settled. :) I have no one when I first arrived in Perth. Settled everything from accomodation to bank account to uni enrolment by myself. :( Thanks to being the eldest at home.

Anyway, good luck my dear little bro. New challenges ahead. Study hard :) Mum and dad will be happy to see you passing with flying colours.

MJ In Memory 1958-2009

2009-07-05T04:52:00.006+08:00

I have to concede it has to be one of the worst morning I've woken up to. It's like a bitter pill to swallow, but it has to be swallowed nevertheless.

Growing up in the 80's, his music certainly left a deep imprint in my heart. I can still recall the first time I saw him on TV when I was 7 years old (yup, I can still remember). I was young then, and was watching television with my uncle at our old house in Meru when suddenly this man came on the screen and, it's still hard to describe now, how utterly awestruck I was at that moment.

Afterwards, I retired to my bedroom, putting on a toy sunglasses and trying to emulate his dance moves. I also envied the kid in the MTV who was privilleged enough to dance with him - and whom I later identified as Macaulay Culkin.

So, to say that MJ is an inspiration to me would be an understatement.

He seemed to have this uncanny ability to make music sound so magical. Til today, I still listen to "Heal The World", "You Are Not Alone", "Billie Jean" and in my opinion his best song - "Human Nature".

Of course, this man would later turned into a public oddball and being labelled as Wacko Jacko. This music phenomenon soon got himself embroiled in all sorts of scandals and his weird antics off-stage further convinced the public that this man has lost all his connection with the reality world. But I digress.

Perhaps people are just too ignorant, orperhaps they find amusement in seeing someone placed so high on the pedestal falls from grace. The tabloids accused him of 'bleaching' his own color, a paedophile and a lost soul. But how much can we trust tabloids these days? Nowadays, the media act like kingmakers - editing unflattering photos of celebrities that they want to promote and undermining the credibility of those whom they dislike. And in this case, Michael's the chosen victim.

For me, this is a man who was deprived from a healthy childhood as a result from sadistic abuse by his father who often chased and hit him with a belt if he dared missed a key. He thus seek solace in music - the one thing that can make him escape from the misery he suffered. He was also diagnosed with vitiligo - an illness which made him extremely sensitive to sunlight and

caused depigmentation of his skin - which explains the changes in his skin tones. And the kid who accused him of sexual abuse admitted later on that he did that because his father needed some money. So, to hell with all those accusations! And so are those ignorant fools.

Perhaps he is a child who grew up too soon. I watched the documentary about him called Living with Michael Jackson and he clearly seemed like a boy trapped in a grown man's body.
In that sense, his passing could turn out to be an outlet for him to escape from this world that proved to be incapable of fulfilling his idea of a 'perfect world' and his musical genius. One thing for sure, I won't get a chance to fulfill my dream to see him in concert. Ever.

I would say forget the scandals, forget the sordid details about him and embrace his music.

He will be sorely missed. Goodbye, Michael.

(P/S: Vian might think this entry is a nuisance cuz she doesn't like MJ) Sorry dear! =)

OZ Lotto Biggest Ever Prize

2009-06-30T17:46:00.004+08:00

Today is The Day.

OZ Lotto is one of the largest lottery game in Australia and this Tuesday (today) the jackpot prize has snowballed to AUD 90 million - the biggest prize ever in history.

Basically you pick 7 random numbers out of 45 numbers. The draw itself consists of 45 numbered balls where 7 balls + 2 supplementary number will be drawn to determine who wins what.

The probability of winning is 1 in 45,379,420.

Which makes it even TOUGHER than:

Becoming a saint (1 in 20 million)
Being struck by lightning (1 in 2.1 million)
Dating a supermodel (1 in 88,000)
Bowling a perfect game of 300 (1 in 11,500)
Hitting hole-in-one in golf (1 in 5000)

So imagine how tough that is!

Thus, in order not to be left out from this mania, we decided to slash our odds of winning the jackpot by half - by buying 2 SETS of NUMBERS! Hehe!

Will our 'investment' of AUD 2.20 becomes AUD 90,000,000?

Fingers crossed, mate....fingers crossed....