The consequences of procrastination

I plead guilty to procrastination.

I was letting Clare, my English tutor to proof read my resume last Fri. She went through the first few parts w not much of a comment until she reached to the Qualifications section. She pointed at the part where I had included my results, looked up to me & said: “Do you think it matters, Irene?” For some reason, it had kept me thinking for a bit or is it jst another phony excuse to ease my guiltiness fr procrastinating my media ethics essay until 2days before it is due.

But hey, I spent 4 freakin hrs at the comp lab last sat to do research on my essay. Met Jeremy for a movie in the aft, followed by superbly fresh & yummy sashimi for dinner w Krystal & her mum, Val, Franco, Richie & biu tai. We had a silent dinner at first, with Richie tryin to steer clear from his crappy jokes and me trying very hard to maintain my etiquette. But I guess tigers can never hide from their spots. While hving black sesame ice cream for dessert, Krystal’s mum start telling her life story to ... abt incidents at her work, grooming lessons, Hawch’s mum & tips to survive in the corporate world. Sometimes I jst loveeee to talk to aunties & uncles.. because really, u learn many diff things fr them tht u can never consume fr books. I dunno why, but everytime I look at her, I can't help to smile coz she really resembles the guru feng shui - Lilian Too. ;P

23 degrees yday. For the first time, I was without my red puffy jacket or my brown one either. Finally managed to give the thermo flask tt I bought for aunt May to her. It is quite a satisfying feeling to see ppl tht u care smile fr ear to ear, appreciating yr effort & thoughtfulness. Ta pau Chinese food & gathered at Parliament garden for “picnic” w my bro’s friends. Haven’t had lunch w them for ages... then, we went on to play Taboo. Oh god, I was so rusty.. I almost made the gp lost. ;P I wanted to teach them play fuzzy duck, thought twice and decided not to when my brain finally processed that I’m w a bunch of church people.. hehee.. After much fun under the sun, I stuffed myself w 6hrs of media ethics. Oh, I so deserve it..!

Alright, back to my essay. More stories to come.. ;P

What's up my sleeve?

I hate it when I encountered horny waiters whenever I try a new restaurant. Coz then it totally destroys the whole impression I had and my appetite. Stupid waiter, have problems w his puny eyes - his eye level was at our chest all the while. (Well, less on mine definitely!) Nevertheless, the food was good. We had bbq fish, a range of appetisers, and some chicken w chic peas - all in Lebanese style.

While hving dinner, Jen confronted Val & I yday. Sort of "questioning" and "interrogating" us as to why we went Lion King without her & why we bought tickets to Spring Fashion Festival without her. I've always detest friends asking me questions like these. But at second thought, hey! it is only when u mean a lot to them, questions like these popped up. And, it is only true friends tt practices honesty riggggght?

Woke up 7.30am in the morn today, jst to attend the Graduans fair at Arrows. Thought it might be worth trying my luck to secure a job before I go back. Oh well, only 7 companies were there & one of them were Phillip Morris. I have to say, their graduate program does seem enticing - international working opportunities & they train u to be in a leadership position. A bit controversial though..

So what's up my sleeve lately?

Fiji. :) :) :) hehee.. Haven't confirm anything yet BUT seems positive. Will be going w Val, Jen & Jun... And, let's jst say I'm researching on Cairns as well..! Woohoooo~~

What a crazy week!

Thurs has become one of my fav days of the week. Simply because it is the start of my wkend and last week was no exception. After what seem like an endless arrangement, Krystal, Val, Sze & I finally met up w some friends that we got to know through our ski trip. Had Jap food, head down to the bottle shop, bought 3 bottles of whiskey & continued our drinking session.. Boy, never let your friends tricked u into playing maths magic when u’re half sober.

Woke up on Fri morn & prepared for my presentation the whole aft to ease my guiltiness. At night, finally came the much-anticipated Lion King!!!! Woohooo~~~ the musical was sooooOOOOoooo cool. Too cool. Jst everything abt it was simply amazing. The grand entrance of Regent Theatre, the dramatic carvings, the grand chandeliers, the props, the music... all contributed to the magical night. We got the cheaper tic, 9 of us.. sat almost 10 rows fr the back. It’s pretty far fr the stage until the guy sitting in front of us brought his own binoculars. :D

Sat was SLP Stage 4 training day. Woke up 6am, feeling a bit wonky & head to Lyrebird Park.. Learnt heaps of stuff. It’s such an incredible opportunity to be able to train among 7 other leaders, with totally diverse experience, culture and leadership styles. Even more incredible when I see myself transforming fr 1st sem, Stage 1 training at the same place & now, my final training. I am now an official SLP graduate after 2 whole years!! Gosh, it’s like another degree... 8 of us stayed overnight to lead the Stage 1 participants the next day. I stuffed up so many times, but I guess it is through stumbling these mistakes that helps to shape my character to be the person that I am today. We had this whole 2hrs feedback session on the wa back to the city w the other 7 leade... got some really pleasant & encouraging feedback. I reckon the overnight training is one of the highlights of SLP - a perfect grand finale!

Came back on Sun night & head straight to meet Michy. I was feeling rather exhausted but the minute I saw her laughing & jumping towards me, my exhaustion jst disappeared. Then, came our infamous roaring laughter & updates over pasta at Corretto’s & hot chocolate at Koko Black.. I’m really glad that you came, babe! Even glad to know that our friendship has not changed much.. it’s as though we catched up from where we left off. :) Anw, I think I snored like a pig that night..

Next day, had Vietnamese for lunch.. bumped into Krystal’s mum & had a bit of chat abt my future career. As usual, Mich & I never understand the meaning of a full stomach & went for yum cha in Chinatown.. then, shop around GPO & Lt Collins. Didn’t had time to shop much & had to sent her off to Glenferrie to meet her aunt. Felt kinda sad when we hugged our last goodbye but I know that would not be our last goodbye.

Prepared for Comm Law presentation w Val until late & by the time I reached home, I was like a dead fish. Oh well, at least until Jeremy called. *wink wink*.. All the hard work was paid off when the tutor said, “Well done. That was an innovative presentation..” Phew~~

What a great conclusion to a crazy week!

p/s: Check this out: Krystal's masterpiece

Marriage, anyone?

“I’m getting married!!!!!!”

Not me lar. Elina, my course mate. I was shocked to hear that one of my close friends are getting married next year but I was even more shock when she casually mentioned that she wanted me to be one of her bridesmaid. I gasped so loudly, looked into her eyes & told her how touch I was… I mean, I knew we were pretty close friends but I never thought I was “qualify” enough to be one of her bridesmaid. Needless to say, I have never, in my life been asked to be someone’s flower girl, let alone a bridesmaid.. :)

Then we went on & on talking abt her marriage plans… where she wanna go for her honeymoon… how much she pray that she won’t have to live with her annoying future sister-in-law & the whole marriage jitters.

It is one feeling to see my brother’s friends getting married and it is another to see one of yr close friends getting married. For that split second, I felt tht sense of growing up.. the sense that our topics of conversations are gradually shifting from crazy university crushes to real serious stuff like getting married.

Oh my gawd..!!

Breaking news.

Michelle's arriving fr Perth tmr. Woohoooooo~~~ Another visit fr Perth. :)

Oh, another great weekend

After 1 ½ semester of being cheated, we finally realised jst how much more cheaper it is to buy drinks fr the bottle shop than to buy it off the bar. So instead of having to pay freaking 7bucks for a shot of tequila, we had JD coke, some Bailey’s look alike liquor & wine for only 10bucks. Bad idea! Coz Krystal & I was half-sober & had to constantly lean on the walls & was laughing like a maniac on the way to Billboard last Fri night. It’s jst fun sometimes to get a bit high, dunno what u’re saying, laugh for no reason & jst dance like nobody cares.

Sat night, it was “Friday’s girl’s night out” with the girls – Jen, Jun & Val. We went to our fav hangout place, Kimchi Grandma in Box Hill for dinner. Oooh, I so love the seafood hotpot. It was damn cold in the suburbs that night & the steaming soup was jst the perfect thing to have. I love it everytime we catch up with each other, talking abt girlie stuff like foolish men & boobies while making silly jokes abt terrorist bomb ring tones and picking on the new cute Korean waiter. Stayed over at Jen’s place, watched some romantic Korean music video clips & the movie “A lot like love”… Hmmmm, jst the perfect Sat night that I needed~

Woke up Sun morn to Jen’s homemade pancake bfast (Thanks girl! *hugsss**) & she brought us for the first time to her church in Doncaster – Crossway. Their worship session isn’t as good but I love their sermon – short & sweet. Seriously, sometimes pastors hv to take into account the fact tht a youth’s retention level only lasts no more than 20mins. Was supposed to catch up w my readings for the week in the lib but end up going for another yum cha session in Fortune. Probably not the best food but really, it is the company that counts.

Then, in the aft, I voluntarily & generously helped up in RMIT’s Open Day… the thing tht i jst needed to remind me how important it is to focus on my studies. Or is it like what I told the girls in the car this morn, “It is the times tt we spent together with close friends that we would tell our grandchildren abt when we are 60, and not the High Distinction that we get.” Still, it’s great to see the desperate eager look at the parents’ wrinkled face while wondering how I’d be like 20yrs down the road.

My weekend ended w Krytal, Sze & Val’s open hse at their place last night. Had pasta & pizza for dinner & played card games as usual. The loser has to pick a random apartment, offer them strawberries & welcome them to Melbourne. And guess who was the loser?!............. Me, of course…….. But the funniest part was when Richie lost & he had to hop like a Chinese vampire to the first person who walked into Concept Blue Apartments.

Oh, what a funny weekend…..!

The occasional sprinkle of..

Yday, we had Georgette & Charlie over for dinner. While I was savouring Franco’s classic tomato egg & my favourite home boiled soup, Georgette was not only struggling with the idea of papaya & peanuts in her soup but was also disgusted with the whole idea of glutinous rice or what Chinese commonly known as “tong yuen” as dessert.

What started off with slight awkwardness ended up with thunderous laughter when Charlie started making jokes abt Mariah Carey’s certified mental illness & how Aussie girls break up with guys who sing love songs to them after going out for 3 weeks.

Later, we played one of our usual card games. I dunno what u call it but Charlie called it “The anti-social game” where the losers are secluded and confused. While the winners reign w laughter & even more tricks, the losers usually ended up confused and rather shut up then to make any more mistakes. After what seem like an endless game, we all decided to give Franco’s cousin a peace of mind & went to the bottle shop instead. In the end, we hung out at Krystal’s place, chatting, with me thinking what the heck is wrong with me when I feel completely fine w 2 tequila shots but half-sober w only 2 glasses of wine.

Is this what you call cultural diversity? Because if it is, I’m enjoying it.

Currently feeling: I’m suffering from PMS

Presentations, presentations and more presentations

I'm freaking bored.

I'm trying to prepare for Comm Law presentation in 2 weeks time abt privacy & Nicole Kidman but I can feel my brain screaming... "Chocolate!!!". I'm so tired, I can see double visions of Valene sitting beside me. And worst still, my eyelids are so heavy, I start going bonkers and feeling damn high, which my brothers & I call it "Post Alam Ria"..

Lunch time jst now, I saw Franco peeping at my classroom's door while I was frantically packing and gathering my thoughts from the boring philosophy tutorial, thinking.. "What does this bastard wants?".. He gave me this cheeky smile & shove over a brown paper bag with sushi in it. Awwww... how sweet! **hugssss*** We chatted a bit while my mouth is stuffed with salmon sushi suddenly realising again tht we won't be seeing each other after our Hong Kong trip in Jan. :(

And Jen jst walked in with her forever goldfish eyes and chirpy smile, gave me tht look & gawk at me, complaining for the 100th time.. "I still can't believe you're addicted to blogging."

Duh~~

The Unspoken

U know how people always say.. there are some things that are better left unsaid. There are some things that are better if it is unclear, not dug out and not clearly spelled. It is both a funny and amazing feeling when two people’s gaze meet among a crowded hall yet u jst feel as though you’re the only two.

It is so weird when you catch yrself smiling while doing monotonous chores like chopping the garlics. Or when u forget to pour oil before you cook and burnt the chicken instead of stir-frying it. Even weirder when you feel yr heart pumping faster than it should or when u stutter for no reason. But I tell u, it is the weirdest when you look into that person’s eyes and all u can see is a pair of loving and caring eyes staring back at you that instantly melts yr heart.

But with the unspoken comes immense curiosity, occasional awkwardness and a handful of questions that starts with “What if..?”. Perhaps it is better if things are clearer and feelings are confessed. Or when both make an effort to put a halt into something that seems like driving to a dead end… or should I say before we reach the junction.

And, that’s exactly how I felt towards Jeremy.

Tut Tut

I went for another day trip last Sat.. hehee.. ;P U know those old Victorian trains tht still runs on steam and charcoal. I’ve always wanted to sit in one of those trains.. makes me feel like I’m in the 1920s. It definitely was not as amazing as bridge climbing or a helicopter ride but at least it successfully fulfilled my curiosity.

Then, in the aft went for Shanghainese lunch, followed by a good relaxing swim, spa, sauna and steam bath.. everything in 3hrs..!! Seriously, I can still feel the chlorine smell in my hair… **ewwww..** U know one of the most relaxing thing to do is to soak yr body in the hot steaming spa with a good book, looking out to the windy cold weather. But, of course we didn’t do tht. Instead we were poking each other with our dirty wriggly toes, comparing each other’s baby fats & splashing chlorine-filtered water all around..

Had Thai for lunch after church yday & we were discussing abt studying masters and getting a PR. I guess these are always some of the things graduating students like Yong May and I are confronted with. To stay or not to stay? That is the question.. As much as I seem firm to return home for good & taste my fav roti canai telur & kopi O, I still had that little voice in my heart that says… “Perhaps if you stay…..” Time to seek the big guy up there.. *cross fingers**

^^A Dracula night^^

I’ve always passed by this place adjacent to RMIT called Dracula, a theatre restaurant. But somehow it never got into the “Things I want to do before I leave Melbourne” list. And yday, instead of hving the usual birthday dinner, Adeline suggested tht we should all dine & try out Dracula’s. Why not? After all, I’ve always love to try new things & ehem! new food. ;P

Apparently u need to book n they dun accept walk-in customers. Oh well, Adeline bought the tic at half price. What I first thought was tht it’s a restaurant decorated w scary Dracula masks & props and of course, waiters & waitresses in full Dracula costume. Later I found out tht not only did the waiters & waitresses dressed up in full Dracula costume & make up but also act like one. All of them look like they’re gonna suck the blood off my neck any minute. At least if I dun behave.

First they usher us into this room for a brief greeting & then tick our names off fr this ancient Harry-Porter-look-alike book. Then, again we were all usher into this waiting room where they have a bar & more props & scary waiters walking around. Then, the weirdest thing happened. All patrons have to sit on a ghost train ride to the restaurant. It’s exactly like a roller coaster minus the speed. And as expected, along the way there are fake ghost w clever lightings designed to raise yr hair. The scariest part was the last bit when a real Dracula scare us w a saw. The whole ride Adeline & I cling to each other.. with me closing half of my eyes, screaming at the top of my lungs. Hah~~

Dracula waiters served us w entrée & our main while we feast our eyes looking at their weird behaviour, outrageous make up & costumes. Mind u, it isn’t those ordinary fake politeness of, “Excuse me maam, what would u like to have?” but more of like the rough eerie Dracula voice of, “ARGHHH… CAN I TAKE YOUR ORDER?”… plus the occasional spine-chilling stare.

The highlight of the night was definitely the stand-up comedy. Being the usual me, I laughed my ass off while throwing my head back & forth coz the Draculas really made a great effort in entertaining us w their jokes around the theme Fangs & Fetish. Not only jokes bout Draculas but race, celebrities, sex, grandmothers & flat chest (no wonder I can relate to tht!). There’s this once, this Aussie Dracula comedian lookd at us & shoutd “Hello Ma-lai-sia!!!”.. looked back at her partner, pointed at his penis & said “Pisang kecik!”.. wooohahahahahaha..

What can I say, it was an extraordinary experience & hopefully, a memorable 21st for Adeline. :) Glad tht u like the pressie..

A snowy weekend

-2 degrees. What do you think? Let’s jst say, it wasn’t freezing, I was frozen.

I was so blardy cold even my nipples hardened. Okaaayy, I’ll spare u guys the details. Seriously, the view up there at Falls Creek is amazing… funny how mountains covered w snow & dead trees look extremely enticing to me. But, the journey up there was hell dizzy. It’s like Genting times 3 with the occasional windy Great Ocean Road for the added dizziness that we all needed. ;P We departed fr Melb 1.30am & reachd there 7.30am. It was raining & snowing at the same time.. seriously, I didn’t know thtz possible. Although I was dead tired, the minute I saw the flakes of snow, I was jumping like a kid… feeling for the first time in my life, the softness, whiteness & coldness of the snow with my bare hands.

We got ourselves rugged up, geared up w our ski gears & begin our ski lessons. It was so cold & misty tht u can’t really see anything beyond 5 feet. Probably not so scary if u’re walking but when the only thing tht u can hear is yrself & the fact tht u can’t really control yr own skiis, it is pretty scary! We practically ski & fall the whole day.. By the time we reachd our resort at night, we were so tired, we dozed off at 8.30pm.. the earliest Friday night ever.

Before tht, I think we were too tired, our brains went bonkers & we took some semi-nude pics. ;P Yup, u read tht right. Semi-nude pics. 4 girls jumpd into the bath tub tht were meant for 1person & Sze took her polaroid cam & we start posing & taking pics.. hahahaha…

Next day after 12hrs of intense sleep, we woke up w a backache. Startd our ski adventure & this time, we explord diff routes. Felt so proud of ourselves after yday’s lesson, at least even if we can’t ski, we can slide. ;D hahaha.. Went & tried out several new trails for beginners & in the end, I still bang straight to another innocent skier. Hahaha.. poor guy!

After our instant noodle dinner for the second night in a row, some new found friends fr the trip dropped by our room & we played cards over Bailey’s.. We taught them Fuzzy Duck & everyone laughed our ass off but had to stop when our neighbour start banging on our walls, cursing us to give them a peace of mind. Hey, it’s not even midnight but being the civilised considerate ppl tht we were, we decided to tell jokes instead. Errr… knowing how I laugh, I guess it wasn’t much of a difference.

Our final day was spent building snow man, having snow fights, snow wars & jst enjoying ourselves w long lunch hrs… we took so many pics, I could feel my cam shivering fr the cold.

In the end, I came back w a sprained thumb, multiple bruises, severe muscle cramps & a hole in my pocket, thinking…. THAT was my best ever ski experience!! :)